The New York herald., 1875-12-02

compensation last year u was iouna that, whhe lhe
space basis would the pay q several hundred
roads generally Of the larger class, II would re-
duce Il very materially on many OF the smaller
and weaker ones and tho department hesitaed TO adj
vance a measure likely 70 bring so much antagonsm.
During the last few months a new impetus has been
gwen 10 lie railway postal service and new facilities
10 the business the country by the establishment Of
fast mail lines Railway post Office IN connection
with passenger trains are now transported At speed
hitherto unattained IN the service Upon OF the
largest lines has been placed a postal railway train
under the entire control OF the Post once Department
carrying no passengers All these post Office
bear the seal OF the United STATES and OF the Post Once
Department II IS believed az distant day the busi
o the department will be great induce the
railroad companies 10 similar trains from New
England % the Gul and from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific
SPECIAL AGENTS
new system has been adopted some extent, In
regard % the appointments and disposal Of special
agents This force concentrated far as practical
bic, with headquarters few prominent points, ana
appointments have been made and viii continue 70 oe
made almost exclusively from the employees already 10
some other branch Of the service who ~ encleney,
ability and thorough knowledge Of Post once laws ana
rules are enabled to become much more qucky Veseu
In the delicate duties required Of these onlcers thn
would otherwise be possible Special agents represent
exclusively and arc responsible only TO, the Postmas
ter General and ought to be entirely adapted oy nature
and training to the severe and peculiar work imposed
upon them.
l would repeat the recommendation made By my
predecessor his annual report for the hsca year
ended June So 1873, that any person DC permitted,
without additional charge, TO write form Of presen.
taton in any book pamphlet, magazine, periodca
other matter OF the tiaASr eioO hhAt
the sender Of any package be permitted without addi
tonal charge write his or her name and address on
the outside thereof with the word from above Or
preceding tho same, 10 inform the person ad-
dressed Of the Of the sender and 70 wite briefly
any package the number aud name Of the articles
inclosed.
THK PRAxKING PRIULEGE
Congress at its last session gave tho privilege TO
members OF both houses send, free, through the
mails under such and restrictions the Postmas
General might prescribe certain public documents
until the commencement OF the next session The
weight Of those documents was estimated by the de-
partment the time TO be from 200 to 800 tons Our
mal transportation has reached such proportions
that this printed matter has been distributed without
causing any delay the transportation ana delivery OF
the ordinary mails and with no percepuoe increase oil
cost or labor
recommended that the postage on transient news
papers and periodicals. books printed matter of all
sorts Autographs and maps sheet music photographs
and manuscripts designed for publication shall be
duced TO cent for each two ounces or fraction
thereof which the rate before the enactment of
the law advancing during the closing hours of the last
Congress
The act OF June g. 1874, requiring prepayment in
stamps Of postage newspapers and periodical pubi-
cations mailed from known offices or publication
agencies and addressed 70 regular subscribers or
agents went into effect the LIST OF January lS5
and from present indications II will realize about
$1,000 600 Tor the first calendar year This Is not
material from the average results OF the old
law though during the last year IN which this latter
was in operation the amount was increased by the
ment OF postage newspapers circulating within
the county OF publication a requirement
that discontinued al the end OF one
year While, therefore, there has been no
increase in the aggregate receipts there has been
larger net gain by saving the commissions on colec
tlons allowed by the old law under the present law
the great bulk Of postage s pad at the large Offices
whose salaries not affected by this item. Under
the old law there check TO insure collections at
the Office OF destination, and the consequence that
much matter went unpaid, and II IS satisfaction that
under the present equitable mode the universal
collections have made up Tor the reduction in the rates
The new system has worked admirably and has given
necessary. Fun information 70 the manner of
cutting the law, with more specific statements Of its
suts, viii be found N the accompanying report OF the
Third Assistant Postmaster General
CONVERSATION oP PosrMAsTERs
Under tho present law, which bases tho compen-
saon OF postmasers Of the fourth class upon the sale
stamps loss has been inflicted the revenues OF
the government by the sale OF stamps 10 be used else
where, particularly IN large cities where salaries have
reached the maximum provided by law. Many officials
have been dismissed Tor violating the rules Of the de-
partment in this respect; but impossible large
IS the number for the department TO prevent wrong
practice or even, to any extent, to keep them
check recommend that the compensation OF Post
OF the fourth class be based upon the business
Of their respective Offices as determined by the can
collation. OF stamps, the account TO be duly sworn to-
Tor each quarter. and returned TO the sixth Auditor
There is great want Of equity IN the compensation Of
postmasters OF the hrst, second and third classes
Under the present law posmasers IN small cities and
towns, who are required 10 give very moderate
bond and whose business also Is not large, may
the maximum salary Ia the larger cities, ike Boston,
Philadelphia and Chicago, postmasters doing postal
business OF hundreds OF thousands Of dollars per annum
money order business Of Millions and giving bonds
the extent 81 5000 O00 greater
than that paid great majority of the small cities In
many places the salary of the postmaster the largest
N the place presidents, cashiers secretaries and other
officers Of corporations whose duties require greater
abilities and whose positions entail vastly
greater responsibilities, receiving less This
70 an unscemly scramble for these offices.
II the salaries 1T the smaller offices excessive
those Of the large cities are certainly 100 low find
postmasers az class TO be efficient, capable and at
tentive beyond my expectations, and their salaries
should bear proportion 10 their duties. Cases
said 10 exist however, where few or no duties are
actually performed by the postmaster. A law compel
ling postmasters whose income is say ST. 600 or
more @ gve their entire attention to the duties Of
their Office falling in this employ person to
perform them, at their own and NOT the governments
expense, would be most undoubtedly beneficial to the
service
have made and shall continue 10 make sobrIcty an
Indispensable requisite in every person within my
troll N all branches of the service. The Post Office
business department and should be run on business
principles.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
The postal revenues during the last 1sca year have
sympathlzed with the prevalent depression In all
branches Of trade. showing increase the pre-
yious year Of only LIB per cent which Is tho
smallest Increase for many years, and which have
induced me 10 be very moderate IN estimating the
pected revenues Tor the year ending June 30 1877
ing 70 be on the safe side Estimates have been sub
mitted which show an expected deficiency Of
These have been based upon existing laws and
upon the existing state o. things II business revives
aud expands, u must, Il may judge
the future by the past, and II the laws
in relation to compensation OF postmagtars
are modified in accordance with the recommends
uons Of this report, the deficiency for that
year viii be very much less than the esttmates The
deficiency OF the Post Office Department should by no
sound rule Of business increase percentage ii
in amount II my expectations should prove correct
for the year ending June 90 1877 there will be no in
crease in the percentage Of deficiency but, the
trary, decrease Basng the estimate OF the
at the smallest amount and Of the expenditures at the
largest increase Is shown in the percentage OF the
deficiency or only 1889 against "a 81, which was the
estimate Of the percentage oil Increase Of tho deficiency
of last year that Of its predecessor wide gap
the end or year between the receipts and expcndi-
tures and the wrong side Of the ledger anything
but pleasant fact for business man 70 confront
With proper watchfnlness and economy in this depart
mont always requiring maximum service AZ minimum
cos Ia any other business, this gap between ex-
penditure and receipts be gradually closed and IN
time be made 70 disappear altogether Important as II
rs 70 reduce the deficiency u must not be forgotten
that IN the sparsev settled portions or the South aud
West the expenditures for mail service must in many
instances exceed the receipts two or three and some