The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-09
The Postoffice Department

Mr.. i. w. Barber, third assistant post
master general, has completed his annual
report. The number of official letters re-
ceivcd in that bureau in.thc last fiscal year
was 6S5,000 These were opened, classi-
fled, indexed and distributed by four clerks.
The figures show that the postal cards are
very popular. During the year there were
issued 107, GIG, 900, of the value of 81 ,076,-
100. In the month of October last there
were issued of the new cards Obs, 900,
which is one-fifth of the entire amount
sold during the fiscal year. The estimate
of the number necessary for the next fiscal
year is 154, 967, 900.
The public or ordinary postage stamps
issued to postmasters during the fiscal year
was 6S2, 342, 10, of value of SIS, 221 ,470.
The value of postage and periodical stamps
was $S15,0O2. The number of official
stamps issued to the executive department
was 1S, 495, 900, of value of 1914, $40
The total number of stamps of all kinds
issued was 973, 275. 020, of II value of $780,
All, 1911. The increase in the number of
ordinary stamps is about 10 per cent. The
increase, including official stamps is about
Z per cent. the postage stamps sent
through the mails by registered pouches to
postmasters numbered $50, 452. OF this
entire amount there were lost but ten pack
ages OF an aggregate value of $3.50.
The statistics of the dead letter service
are of quite romantic interest. The num-
Der of dead letters handled during the year
was about four and half millions. OF
I these 81, 100 contained money, aggregating
| $6l 900 1925 letters contained drafts,
notes, bills of exchange, of a value Of $2,-
| 097, 847 35,027 letters contained samples
of merchandise, postage stamps and mis-
cellaneous- articles 3,740,0 900 contained
| nothing OF value.
There were mailed to foreign countries
from the United States 10 100000 letters
of these LOG, 200 were returned undelivered
The number of letters received from for
eign countries was II, 100000, of which
2l9, 100 were returned undelivered. These
| figures show the advantage which this
county will derive from the new postal
treaty of Berne. That treaty provides that
each country shall retain the postage on
all letters mailed in its own territory, and
that no accounts shall be kept between the
countries. The excess of letters mailed
from this country over the number re.
| ceived from foreign countries is nearlp(bne
million. The net gain to the United SUITE,
from the treaty, therefore, presuming al
letters to be only single weight, is five
cents each on million letters, or $780, 900
The result of the operations of the new
law which requires prepayment of news
paper postage presents a curious paradox
While the aggregate receipts from thi
source have not been as large as they wer,
under the old system, the net gain to tn.
government is greater. The postofllce de
partment estimated that the new law would
yield one and half million dollars annual
". This estimate was based upon the re
turns from fifty-fve leading offices for
uniform period. But the postmasters eiihc
erred or did not make truthful returns TO
the receipts from this source are less thar
one million dollars. The government
makes gain, however, from the fact tina
this sum Is manly collected in ad
vance at few offices, where no com
mission is allowed upon the sums col
lected The amount received under thi
new system is near $S00,000, about tn
sum received under the old system in 1873
OF the entire amount collected commission
| were palu upon only ABOUT QUO hunure
thousand dollars. Newspaper prepayment
stamps have been supplied to 3,400 offices
the total number of places in the Unite
States where daily newspapers are pub
lished.
The increase in the number of registere,
pouches during the year was fifteen pc
centum. The system of registered throug
pouches works satisfactorily. They hav
been used upon all principal routes. Post
masters generally certify to their usefulness!