The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-12-17
Annual Report Of the Postmaster Gen.
eral.


receipts Of the DEPARTMENTS be 81, AL 800,
and the expenditures -, ,s|. The re-
ceipts exceed those OF 1874, l lS-lo per
cent, and the expenditures 6s-luD per
cent. The actual amount dra~u1rom the
Treasury was - .Tl6. 3s9, or .>A3,Do less
than the previous year. The recorded COM
plants OF missing letters number b,64S, OF
which s.6s7 were registered letters contain
ing bonds, drafts, e.. amounting 10 >'6..
ZIG, while the unregistered letters contained
valuable contents amounting To slo,Ws. ol
the former. | .OSS were satisfactorily account
ed for, oil actually lost, and tsS remain un-
der invest igatiOn. Arrests for violation OF
the postal laws numbered 3OT. the greater
portion not being connected with tue postal
service: lO1 c0nNiNiOn- were had and lai
await trial. The Money Order Department,
the annual transactions of which have Reach
ed about 80 .0oo, 900, shows an apparent
profit OF $40, zoo, though really In arrears
more than that II the clerk-hire and station
cry required for the business were charged
directly TO its account. The increase OF
rates on small orders made by the authority
OF the last Congress will, IL l. believed, en-
able the Bureau 10 hereafter pay It's own ex-
penses.
AMERICAN NAILS on AMERICAN STEAM
SHIPS.
The fact that but one American steamship
line carries the mails across the Atlantic,
humiitating 20 American pride. Postmaster
General Jewell thinks a matter OF Ma
tionsl pride. and AS . means OF supplying an
efficient steam marine available for immedl-
ate use BY the Government in case or war.
provision should he made for the uan-poi-
tation of our mails on important ocean
routes i'm steamships Offered and man
ned by our citizens aud sailing under
our own flag. He says: "A moderate COM
pensation in excess OF the hostages now al
lowed would enable the establishment and
maintenance Of American lines 10 Europe
ana South America; and a moderate mail
compensation for a line 10 Japan and China
will doubtless continue the mail service 10
those countries in American ships after the
termination Of the existing subsidy contract,
which will expire on the 3l-t OF December,
1876. | think il safe To say that the sum OF
500 600 per snnum now granted - subsidy
TO the Japan and China line for single
monthly service on that route would. in ad-
dit0n 10 the hostages on mails conveyed, be
quite sufficient. judiciousy apportioned be-
tween the respective routes, To maintain IN
efficient mail service by steamer sailing un-
def our lag on all the important ocean
routes which should be occupied by lines Of
American steamers"
STRAW BIDS.
Mr.. Jewell SAYS the evil OF straw bid
ding, which annually involves the Depart
ultUl III the loss OF I1thN injurious VI tAlfhh-
ands Of dollars. can, in his Judgment, be ef-
fectually removed by such change in the
law a. will authorize the Postmaster Gen.
eral on the failure u any accepted bidder.
To offer the contract As at present 10 the next
lowest bidder on the list, il, in his 1udg-
ment. the bid be not too high; and, IL this
next lowest bidder declines To enter into a
contract, 10 be authorized to enter into a
contract with person not a bidder At any
price not exceeding said lowest bid.
THE RAILWAY POSTAL SERVICE.
The Po-tmasterGeneral speaks OF the
railway postal service and the roads doing II
in high terms. but thinks il would he more
equitable 20 pay companies by space instead
Of weight. This would increase the COM
pensation Of roads Of the larger class. but
reduce II materially on many of the smaller
and weaker ones. The fast mail service j.
praised, and the opinion expressed that at
no distant day the business 81 the Depart
ment Will be 30 great a. 10 induce railroad
companies 10 run similar trains from New
England 10 the Gulf, and from the Atlantic
to the Pacific.
THE OLD RATE on THIRD CLASS NATTER
SHOULD BIZ RESTORED.
The General says. 81 recon-
mend that the postage on transient newspa-
pcrs and periodicals, books, printed matter
Of all sorts. Autographs, maps. sheet-m
photographs, and manuscripts designed for
publication. shall be reduced 10 one cent for
each two ounces or fraction thereof, which
WAS the rate before the enactment Of the law
advancing II during the closing hours OF the
last Congress.
IL + also recomm 1ded that any person be
permitted. without additional charge, to
write form II presentation in any book,
pamphlet. magazine. periodical. or any other
matter 81 the third-clas-; and also that the
senderof any package bc permitted, without
l.et. n -. w.Awfsa a.. krr@
and address on the outside thereof, within
word prom above or preceding the same,
80 as 10 inform the person addressed Of the
name Of the sender, and 10 write briefly on
any package the number and name Of the
articles enclosed.
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE.
Concerning newspaper postage, he says:
1.-The new law, which went into effect on
the lit OF January, 1879. from present indl-
cations, will realize about 81 ,0c, 900 for the
first calendar year. This il not material
variation from the average results OF the old
law, though during the last year In which
this latter was i'm operation the amount was
increased by payment Of postage on news
papers circulating within the county Of pub
| location. requirement that Was di-conin-
ued At the end Of one year. While, there
| fore, there has been no increase IN the az
rregate receipts. there has been large net
gain by saving the commissions ON colec-
I tion- allowed by the old law, az under the
present law the great bulk Of postage i paid
M large offices where salaries are not affected
| by this item. Under the old law there was
no check to insure collections at the office Of
destination, and the consequence was that
much matter went unpaid. and Il il salts
factory that under the present more equlta-
bic mode the universal collections have
made up for the reduction in rates. The
new system has worked so admirably. and
has given such general satisfaction, that no
change has been deemed necessary
COMPENSATION or PosTMAsTERs.
Ii Is recommended that that the compen-
sation OF Po-tmasters OF the fourth class be
based upon the business OF thcirrcspectlye
offices a. determined by the cancellation Of
stamps, the account 10 be duly sworn TO
for each quarter and returned 10 the sixth
| Auditor. Mr.. Jewell says: There Il a
great want of equity in the compensation ~
Postmasterr OF the first, second and third
| class IL the salaries az smaller Offices are