Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-12-09

SYNOPSIS OF MIR. JEWELS REPORT.
The animal renort of POstmaster-Genp


June 30. 1873. were 81. Al .3G0.57. The
expenditures of all kinds were sj3.Gll.-
3Dg45. an increase OF Sl.4Si. >94 ~. or
( % per cent. over those for 1874. and less
than the amount estimated in 1873 by s3ls-
Gni. The net amount dawn fron, the gen
eral Treasury under appropriations 20 meet
deficiencies was Sl.7l6.339 80, against 81
30 933 - for tine fiscal year ot l>s3-f.
a difference in FAVOR oi 1873 of Sji3. GfG %
The complaints nf missing letters Of val
ne numbered 5.Gti-2.G11 registered ard
aGS unregistered. The registered letters
contained. ~ alleged, s1G,@lG -. and ths
unregistered contents were valued az So
.t7 ~. Of the 2.G57 registered letter. re-
ported A. lost. LUN} were satisfactorily
accounted Tor, al actually lost. and 81
remain under Investigation, 800 persons
wcr. arrested. charged With various VIOLA
tinuS ct the postal laws the majority uf
whom were not connected with H." Fo~iai
service. o!thr,c To- wcr" cnnvictcd;" =, Ac-
quilted: >. prose cutiou abandoned .. roiit
,,ro.f3u entered: I. not indicted; 1. e.
capped; forfeited h9il; , died before trial;
and 10 were dismissed aud are waiting
trial.
Tho moury-ordrr drparinc ut ha> not
lall H. expenses Ihl, Mr Jewell thinks
b. ut.hi 60 a1. and he predicts that h viii
10 80 under the advanced i8;e, ordered by
the last Congress.
ui the necessity Of having foreign mails
carried in American vessel, he Say-
'tThcfact that but one line of steamships
carving our la. j. employed 10 convey
iu. u1..~ a.re., ~" N'44'ic. arj none
whatever 10 South America. - Illuminating
to the lust pride of every American citizen.
This line makes regular weekly trips from
Phuadciph.a 70 Liverpool. and carries q
Z. s2..
postage - compensation for the service
hut the great bulk 81 our mails for Europe
j. carried by stcAIn.i> under foreign iiags.
sailing from The port Of New York on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays. Thursdays aud
Saturdays Of each week. A. matter 81
national pride, an aid u the rcyiyI, -
American commerce, aud - a inclr- ~
supplying an efficient steam marine avail
able Tor immediate use by the government
iu case OF war. provision should Toe made
for the transportation OF our malls @" i'm
Iortaat ocean route. ..G steamships Offered
and manned by OR own citizens aul sail
JED. uudcr our own lly Il j. 5cucged
that the payment OF moderate mai. COIN
peusat.on IN excess of tie postAGcs now
allowed under tho provision, uf(he gcnrr-
"a law would enable our citizens - e>tab-
18th and maintain steamship lines across
the Atlantic aud 20 South American ports
which would prove gciuunrrat.yc 20 the
yrupg.cior,. and promote the general pros
Icfl'y 81 Tue country. : reasonable al
Iowauce for Il line - the wcst coast Of
South America would assure regular mail
communications by American >tcAmr,>
Aith our sister republic, on That coast.
aud 4 moderate mail compensation for a
line "a Japan and China Will doubtless
continue the mail service 70 those cOun-
lrie- 10 american ships amer the termna-
ton ofthe existing Subsidy contract, which
W.Il expire on the 3.>; of December, l-.o
| think Il j safe 10 say that the sum OF
500 90 per annum now granted a, a sub
sliy 10 the China aud Japan line for u -ju-
g." monthly service on that route would In
addition 70 the postage on the mail, con-
y,yed Dee cute sufficient, judiciou>ly ap.
purliuncl between la respective routes.
10 maintain an efficient mali service by
steamers -aiiu. under our nag ou all The
important ocean rJulcs which should De
occupied by American steamer"
Ii- speak, OF the los, which the govern
ncut incuf~ through straw bid" aud
saws.
''Inis evil can. In my judgment De- e.
h.riuaily rr.no. "a 10y >Ush change ID the
Law . Wiii authoii., tie roS'WAster-Gru
er... on the failure of any accepted bidder
To uil-r the contract a. 20 present To the
next lowest bidder on the list IL In his
jud sneul the bid be not too high. and If
this next lowest bidder declines 10 enter
Into contract. to be authorized 10 enter iu-
+ 10 contract wiki person not a bidder at
any price NOT exceeding the next lowest
bid. Ia east no contract eau b.. made
with any party Al this price. u 20 up on
. the lit ia Ike manner always giving the
bid Ter the first chance"
He says Of the ia,t-inail trains: 1t is
/ believed at no distant day the business of
! the department will be 50 great "a IA iu-
/ duce the railroad companies TO run similar
/ trains from New England to the Gulf and
| from the Atlantic to the Pacific"
| or the postage on third-class matter he
says:
would repeat the recommendation
/ made 10y my predecessor IN his annual re-
| port for the fiscal year ending June 81. 1873.
| that any person be permitted. without ad-
/ ditional charge, to write a form of presci.-
tation in any book. pamphlet. magazine,
/ periodical or on any other matter u the
( third class, and also that the sender of any
/ package be permitted without additional
/ charge to write his or her name and ad-
| dre>. on the outside thereof, with the word
from above OF proceeding the same so as
I To inform the person addressed OF the
| name Of the sender, and ~ write briefly on
any package the number aud name ~ the
! article enclosed.
-! recommend that the postage ou tran
silent newspapers and periodicals. books
printed matters of all sorts, Autographs and
maps. sheet music, photographs, aud man
uscript designed for publication, shall be
reduced To one cent tor each two ounces or
fraction thereof, which was the rate before
the enactment Of the law advancing it dur
lug the closing hours OF the last Congress"
He says there has been large net gain
10 the department from the law requiring "a
prepayment OF newspaper postage, because
most OF the postage is paid at the large Of
fees where the salaries are not affected by
it. The receipts OF postage from periodi-
Gals sent to regular subscribers about
100000 per annum.
or the operation of the revived ranking
privilege lie says:
Congress ut its last session gave the
privilege to members OF both Houses TO |
send free through the mails, under such |
rules and restrictions as Che Postmaster |
General might prescribe, certain public |
documents until the commencement OF the /
next session. The weight of those docu- |
ments was estimated by the department at |
the time to be from two hundred to three
hundred tons. Our mail transportation has
now reached such proportions that this
printed matter has been distributed with
out causing any delay in the transportation
and delivery ofthe Ordinary mails and with
no perceptible increase of cost or labor
Mr.. Jewell refers to the inequality In the
salaries of postmasters. those in the large
eitiesreceiving much less in proportion TO
their responsibilities than those in smaller
towns. Il have made" he says, land
snail continue Ia make sobriety an indis-
pensable requisite in every person within
my control IN all branches OF the service.
The Postoffice is business department
and should be run on business principles
He thinks that with proper care and
economy, his department will In time be
self-sustaining. But he says: probably
there is no tax our people will more cheer.
fully bear. provided they can feel certain
the money has been judiciously expended.
than that made necessary by providing first
class postal facilities throughout the entire
extent OF our magnificent domain"