The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-02
WASHINGTON.
The Government Printing

w ASHlNGION, DeC 1.-lH6 report OF the SUI
perntendent of public printing shows the total
cost of printing, binding and lithographing for
the government for the year ending September
Both last to November was 81, 560,425. Besides
this the congressional record cost 1888, $50, In
no period during the last six years has the
work been so far advanced as now, nearly all
the printing ordered by the last Congress hav-
ing been completed. There are now 1900 EN-.
ployes in all the departments of the Office,
with payroll of $4,000 month. The com:
postors are allowed 60 cents per 1000 ems or "a
a day of eight hours.
The Postmaster Generals Report.
The Postmaster Generals annual report
shows the recepts of the department to be
S27 ,44l 1850, and the expenditures S33 Gil 300.
The receipts exceed those of 1877, II 1900 per
cent, and the expenditures 62-100. The actu-
al amount drawn from the treasury was ST.
76l, 800 or S543 606 less than in the previous
year. The recorded complaints of missing let
tiers number 5,645, of which 2 677 were register
ed letters containing bonds, edrafts, &C.,
amounting to $40 ZIG, while unregistered let
tiers contained valuable contents amounting to
$75 997 Of the former, 1888 were satisfactorily
accounted for, Oil were actually lost and 6S3
remain under Investigation. The number of
arrests for violation Of the postal laws number
ed 307, the greater portion not being connected
with the postal service. 10Y convictions wers
had and 157 await trial The department is in
correspondence with the British department on
the subject of an increase of the United States
territorial rates on British Closed mails trans
ported by rail between New York and San
Francisco, the present rates fixed by the postal
convention of 1862 not paying the actual cost
of transportation.
The report shows the operations of the vari-
Gus bureaus of The department. concerning
which much information is already published.
The money order department, the annual tram
sactions of which have reached about $50 ,O0U,-
900. shows an apparent profit of $4,000,
though really in arrears more than that if the
clerk hire and stationery required for the bust
ness we're charged directly to its accounts. The
increase of rates on small orders made by auth
GRITTY of the last Congress will, it is believed,
enable the bureau hereafter to pay its own ex-
penses. The fact that but one American
steamship line carries the mails across the At
lantic and none to South America, is regarded
as humiliating to American pride. Mr.. Jewell
thinks as a matter of national pride, as an aid
to the revival of American commerce, and as a
means of supplying an efficient marine availa-
BILE for Immediate use by the government in
case of war, provision should be made for the
transportation of our mails on important ocesz
routes in steamships differed and manned by
our own citizens and sailing under our own
flag. A moderate compensation in excess of
the hostages now allowed would enable the es-
Enlistment and maintenance of an American
line to Europe and South America, and a mod
crate mail compensation for a line to japan
and China will doubtless continue the mail SER
vice to these countries in American ships.
AT er the termination of the existing subsidy
contract, which will expire Dec 31st, 1876. 81
think" says the Postmaster General, lit is
safe to say that $500, 900 per annum now grant
ed as subsidy to the Japan and China line for
a single monthly service would in addition to
the hostages on the mails conveyed, be quite
sufficient, judiciously apportioned between the
respective routes, to maintain an efficient mail
service by steamers sailing under our flag on
all the important ocean routes which should be
occupied by lines OF American steamers.
Mr.. Jewell says the evils of straw bids which
annually involve the government in the loss of
many hundreds of thousands of dollars, can,
in his judgment, be effectually removed by
such change in the law as will authorize the
Postmaster General on the failure of any ac-
cepted bidder to offer the contract as at present
to the next lowest bidder on the list, if, in bis
Judgment, the bid is not too high, and if this
next bidder decline to enter into contract that
he be authorized to contract with person not
bidder at any price not exceeding said next
lowest bidders.
The Postmaster General speaks of the rail-
way postal service and the roads doing it in
high terms, but thinks it would be more equt-
able to pay the companies by space instead of
weight. This would increase the compensa-
ton OF roads OF the larger class but reduce it
materially on many smaller and weaker ones.
The fast mail service is praised and the opin
ion is expressed that at no distant day the bus
mess of the department will be so great as to
induce the railroad companies to run similar
trains from New England to the Gulf, and from
the Atlantic to the Pacific.
1t is recommended that any person be per-
mit,ed without additional charge to write
magazine, periodical or any other matter of
third class, and also that the sender of any
package be permitted without additional charge
to write his or her address on the outside there
of with the word "from." above or preceding
the same, so as to inform the person addressed
ha ooef Io 4. a.
on any package the number and name of the
articles enclosed.
The sending of public documents through the
mails has not delayed the delivery of the ordin-
airy mails or perceptbly increased their cost.
AS to transient printed matter the Postmaster
oaneral says: recommend that the postage
on nsnsient manuscripts and periodicals, books
and printed matter of all sorts, Autographs and
maps, sheet music, Photographs and manu-
script designed for publication shall be reduced
to cent fJr each two ounces Or fraction there
OF, which was the rate before the Enactment of
the laws advancing it passed during the closing
hours of the last Congress.
Concerning newspaper postage, be says that
the new law which went into effect on the FIRST
of January 1875, from present indications will
realize about 81, 000, 900 for the first calendar
year, mot material variation from the average
results of the cid law, but the new law has
worked so admirably and has given such gen
eral satisfaction that no change is deemed nee
essary.
1t is recommended that the compensation of
postmasters of the fourth class be based upon
the business of their respective offices as de-
termined by cancellation of stamps, the ac-
count to be duly sworn to for each quarter and
returned to the 9th auditor There is great
want of equity in the conversation of post
masters of the 1st, I'd and Sd class. If the
salaries at the smaller Offices are not excessive
those of large cities are certainly too low. L
find postmasters as class to be efficient, capa-
n 10 on6n ffnn iva aun
their salaries SHOULD bear some proportion to
their duties. Gases are said to exist, however,
where few or no duties are actually performed
by the postmaster. A law compelling post
masters whose net income, say $1,000 or more.
to give their entire attention to to the duties of
their Office or, failing in this, to employ some
person to perform them at their own and not
the governments expense, would most IN.
doubtedly be beneficial tosthe service.
s In estimating the expected revenue for the
year ending June 30, 1877 wishing to be on the
safe side, estimates have been submitted which
show an expected deficiency of 49, 181, O0219
This figure is, however, an outside one. Bas-
ing the estimateIof the revenue at the smallest
amount and of the expenditure at the largest,
increase is shown in the percentage of the de-
fciency Of only 10 39-100 against "a 65100
which was the estimate of the deficiency of
last year over that of its predecessors.
Various Matters
William Caleb Loripg has been appointed
Assistant Attorney General.
The government officials have nothing to
communicate with reference to the statement
thatlBurtel, the Virginus butcher, has been
called to answer. but say it is likely.
A Wilson of Louisville has been ap-
pointed chief clerk of the Treasury department
Secretary Bristow TO Make Raid on the
New York Custom House.
NEW YORK, Dec. IA Washington special
says it is expected here that Secretary Bristow
will be upon the New York custom house of