The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-12-10
POSTAL AFFAERs.
The Postmaster Generals An
nNa1 Report.
He Recommends the old Rates
for Third Glass Matter


for Third Glass Matter
Washington, Dec. 1.-The Post
master Generals Annual report
shows the receipts of the Depart
ment to be $27, Al, 1850, and the ex-
penditures $33, GIL ,309. The re-
ceipts exceed those of 1874 by l ID.
100 per cent. and the expenditures
4 62 100. The actual amount drawn
from the Treasury was $47,2I6, 329,
or $543,606 less than the previous
year. The recorded complaints of
missing numbers are 5,645, of which
5 1871 were registered letters con-
tanning bonds, drafts, &C., amount
ing IoS76, PIG, while the unregistered
to $75,999. OF the for
mer l ,OS3 were satisfactorily accoun-
ted for; Oil actually lost, and 683
remain under investigation. The
arrests for the violation of the pos
tai laws numbered 307, the greater
portion not connected with the DOS
tai service; l07 convictions were
had, and 157 await trial. The re-
port shows the operations ofthe va
rious bureaus of the Department.
which much informa-
ton has elready been published.
The Money Order Department an
nual transactions, which has
reached about eighty millions,
shows an apparent profit of $780,
600, though really in arrears more
than that of clerks hire, and the
required for the business
was charged directly to its account.
The increase of rates on small or
ders made by the authority of the
last Congress will, it is believed,
enable the bureau to hereafter pay
its own expenses.
The fact that but one American
steamship line carries mails across
the Atlantic and none to South A mer
lean Is regarded as humiliating to
American pride. Jewell thinks, as
a matter of national pride, as an aid
to a revival of American COM
merce, and as 8 means of supplying
an efectual steam marine available
for use by the Government in case
of war, provisions should be made
for the transportation of our mails
on important ocean routes, on
steamers differed and manned bv
our own citizens, and sailing under
our flag. A moderate compensa-
ton in the excess of the postage
now allowed, would enable the es-
adjustment and maintenance of
American lines to Europe and
South America, and q moderate
mail compensation for a line to
japan and China will doubtless
continue the mail service to these
countries in American ships after
the termination of the existing SUBJ
sidy contract, which will expire on
the 3lst of December 1876. The
fast mail service is praised and the
opinion expressed that at no dis
tant day, the business of the De-
partment will be so great as to in
duce railroad companies to run sim
liar trains from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. 1t Is recommended that
any person be not permitted, with
out additional charge, to write a
form of presentation in any book,
pamphlet, magazine, or any other
matter of the third class; and also,
that the sender of any psckage be
permitted, without additional
lcharge, to write his or her name
and address on the outside thereof
with the word "from" above or
preceding the same so as to inform
the person addressed of the name
of tho sender, and to write briefly
on any package the number and
name of articles enclosed, As to
the transient printed matter the
Postmaster General says: ! recon-
mend that the postage on transient
newspapers and periodicals, books,
printed matter of ali sorts, Htho-
graghs and maps, sheet music pho
tographs and manuscripts, designed
for publication, shall be reduced to
one cent for each two ounces or
fraction thereof which was the
rate before the enactment of the
law advancing it during the closing
hours of the last Congress. Con-
corning newspaper postage, he SAYS
the new law which went into eff
feet on the first of January, 1875.
from present indications, will real
iZe about one million dollars for
the first calendar year. This is not
a material variation from the aver
age results of the old law, though
during the last year in which this
latter was in operation, the amount
was increased by the payment of
postage on newspapers circulating
within the county of pubIication-a
requirement that was discontinued
at the end of one year. While
there has been no increase in the
aggregate receipts, there has been
a large net gain by saving the COM
missions on collections allowed by
the old law, as under the present
law the great bulk of postage is
paid at the large offices, where the
salaries are not effected by this item.
Now the system has worked SO
admirably and has given such gem
eral satisfaction that no change has
been deemed necessary.
1t Is recommended that the com.
pensation of postmasters of the
fourth class be based upon the bust
ness of their respective offices as de-
termined by the cancellation of
stamps, the account to be duiy
sworn to for each quarter and re-
turnd to tho sixth Auditor. There
lisa great want of equality in the
compensation of postmasters ofthe
LIST, I'd and Sd class. If the salaries
at smaller offices are not excessive.
those of the larger cities are GER
tainly too low. / find that post
masters, as q class, to be efficient,
and attentive beyond nv
and their salaries
should be propOrtionate TO their
duties.
In estimating the expected reve-
nues for the year ending june 80,
1876, and wishing to be on the safe
side, estimates have been submitted
which show, an expected deficien.
cy of SS,1Sl ,902, but it is believed
the deficiency for that year will be
very much less than the estimates.
Basing the estimate of the revenues
at the smallest amount and of the
at the largest, an in. |
crease is shown in the percentage oil
the deficiency of only 10 80 100 per
cent. against 81 65-lOO, which was
the estimate of the percentage of
the deficiency of last year over
hat of Its predecessor.
Mrs. F. o. Short, of Lawrence, has