Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-11-29
Postal Statistics.
WASHINGTON Nov. IS.

=
Third Assistant Postmaster General, being
extracts from the reports OF the several
bureaus in his office, for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1876: A ~
Four million seven thousand eight hun
Grcd and seventeen letters were registered
during the year, and fees rec lived thereon
amounted to 1885 1860. OF the letters reg
istered, upon which fees We're paid, 3, l9S 93l
were dome tic; 1o5, 235 were sent to foreign
countries; 653,65l Were transmitted through
the mails without payment of the regis
try fee.
The losses Of registered matter have been
very small. OF the total number OF letters
transmitted, only 1919 or about one il
1000, were absolutely lost. These losses
occurred from various causes; some by rob-
berries Of the mail, Others 10y burning OF
pos al-cars and postofiices; most OF them by
unavoidable casualties to the service, and
no traces of the letters or their contents
ever obtained.
The number of ordinary letter postage
stamps issued to Postmastcrs for sale to the
public during the year ending June ~, 1876,
was 69S 7g9, 40, valued at SIS, 773, 454; of
newspapers and periodical stamps, 1890 47,
valued al s945 25i.75; ordinary stamped en-
velopes, plain, 81 Al 900, valued at S3,2s0,-
3lS.74; stamped envelopes bearing return
reques, !" "a, 554,5O0 valued at s2,079, 57S.30;
OF newspaper wrappers, lS,49S, $50, valued at
1913, 1880; OF postal cards, T,sl5,00o,
valued at 81 sos, 80; official postage stamps
for the use of the Executive Departments Of
the Government, 1869 ,665, valued at s429,-
1908, making total number of l,049, 797,-
507 valued at s26, N5}, 42l.72
The Increase over the previous year was as
follows: Ordinary postage stamps, valued at
SOL ,914, or PA per cent; OF newspaper
stamps, l29,352.2S, or 1885 per cent; Of
ordinary stamped envelopes, plain, s234,-
20339, or la per cent; OF special request
stamped envelopes, S2S7, S92 %, or 1906 per
cent; OF postal cards, S43l $50, or 4014 per
cent.
The net increase in the value of stamps
issued over the previous year was sl,5i2,-
4G0.4s, or l6.4l per cent
There were issued also within the year
4,025 $50 reg stered envelopes; S,Gs3,915 fost-
Office envelopes. and l,5l2,, o dead letter
envelopes, making total of IA 21l ,425.
The amount collected from newspapers on
papers sent 10 regular subscribers was ST.
Oh, l54.27, an increase OF S4l, 25729, or 4.24
per cent.
The New York Postoflce alone during the
year mailed 10 '24 ,0l5 pounds, amounting to
s347 ,S1556, an increase of S12 ,2S6.24, or 3.66
per cent. over the previous year.
Gen. Barber, in his report, estimates that
the Government loses nearly $20000o0 a
year by frauds, which consist mostly in the
washing OF stamps and, reviewing all the ex-
perimcats made TO secure an indelible ink
for canceling stamps, thinks the preventive
to fraud is III the exclusive use of stamped
envelopes.
The issues of stamps are almost the only
revenue OF the Postof1icc Department, and
repre- ented last year nearly $2f 900, GOO, the
cost for their printing and preparation being
less than 81 ,No,o0o
The following table shows the operations
of the Dead Letter Office for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1876:
Description. No receired. Ta,ue
Letters con aiming mcnev. 356f2 S54 sol SO
Containing drafts, bills Of
exchange, etc............. 1884 1,SS4,9l1 Is
Total ............... 1916 s., sos o.
Containing jewelry and other
Containing receipts bills Of
lading etc .............. 251
| Containing photographs. 49,. 3i3s
Containing lstage stamps. 310J4
Ordinary letters without in
Closures. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .9s9
Foreign let ers without in
closures ...,..-. ,...... 2B52s
Total, .3,9O47ii
The work of the office shows that there
were 1884 ordinary letters without in
closures, containing nothing important, de-
stroysd, there not being anything in them TO
1uuItatt ptINOUS 10 whom iNtN COHlu t)p re-
turned There were returned tothe owners
l,39l ,223 letters containing Enclosures, val
ucd az 1851 ,64622, or about eighteen times
rs much ms the Dead-Lettcr Office costs the
Government; 1890 are now awaiting returns
of notices sent to writers,
There have been large reductions in the
numbers of letters received Ut the dead
le ter office this year, which is accounted
for by the superintendent, Mr. Dallas, as
follows:
l. That the use of envelopes bearing re-
quests or business cards is becoming more
general and thus postmasters are enabled
TO return an increased number Of unclaimed
letters direct TO the writer's ,. The in
creased efficiency of the letter carrier service
in large cities 3. The action Of this Office
in calling the attention of postmasters to
eases OF mistrcatment of correspondence,
and thereby providing against repetition
Of the error. The present manner Of treat
ing held for postage-letters, which was in
troduced in April 1919, and referred to in
my last report, viz: holding them in the
Dead Letter Office unopened, and request
ing the addresses to furnish the Eeces-
sary postage, has proven a success in
this, that the department now receives
its revenue upon this class of letters, and
yer does not encourage the non-payment of
postage by the writers, the delay In delivery
being a sufficient hardship to iucite greater
precautiOn in posting letters. OF the 301,-
SO letters held for postage oops were
either also miSdrectcd or addressed to for
eign countries 10 which prepayment of post
age is imperative, and hence were opened
aud returned 10 the writers Notice 10 per
sons addressed was sent in 21S IS, cases and
203, 2oS were successfully delivered I'M
opened The balance, 6S,2ol, were finally
opened, after hay ing been held the usual
period subject to the orders OF the ad-
dresses.
The whole number of applications made
u this Office Cor missing letters during the
year was S,i05, and in 2,9i5 of these cases the
search was successful. The amount ofmoDey
taken from letters which could not be re-
stored TO the owners was S6,052.9S, which re
ycrts TO the United States Treasury. The
amount rCAl-Znl from the AAction sale OF