The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-06

Ias7. an increase of about 4A DER cent per an
NUN over the ,ceipts ~ 1876, the amount cox
lected during the first six months OF that year
being $4s9,4i3.49.
rhe business done by the dead letter ofice
was Immense. Tue number o. letters received
Ing day. or these 2U1.5Jg were held for postage,
6J7G were mis- iirected 6,0i5 were without adj
dressc., 2j,iW cont uned $il4iil7 In money
T. Up contained commercial TAPER to the value Of
S1,,5i 1881. aud tn 'usands Il others enclosed
various other articles Of value:
There we're m the service Of the department
G,l2d CONT clOrs for tue TRANSFORMATION OF tho
mll.. Ofspecial Offices, each with a mail or.
ricr, there were LIS; ~ public mail routes
there were 9O3, VI winch pl2 were railroad. ag-
gre1ating 2Sl7DS miles; ~ annual t. nsportS
Adding al RES OF mail agents. clerks. Nc, tho
agyregttc annual cost was $loJ5l VS. me COST
of railro d ,rinsnor,'tlpn VIZ ~ cents n ~
cents. the net amount of lines imposed upon
contractors; aud deductions made rom 'ne. .
s122.53.l5. Total cost Of mail bags, &c" x2JSv-
8l7.40.
VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW
During the var 2g1 persons were arrested fos
various violations OF the postal laws. One hun.
bred and twenty seven were convicted undei
United states liw. ~ addition TO these. ~
were arrested for similar OF noes, but were
turned over 60 the sta % In which those offence.
were committee. OF THESE 40 persons, only lbi
were employees " the Post once Department.
"and." saws the reuort, "when 1t Is cousiie
that Uni ed states IN lis are transported annual
hindlei by 5000 persons, this exhibit Will ba
considered very ,tisfactory
the number of recorded complaints curing
the year $500 involving the loss or rifling Of
B,72j letters, aggregating In value, IN money
we're resisiered valued at 81 49, and Ash IN.
registered, valued Mt SlplpSG0. OF the l,5T reg
istered letters reported missing SS we're salts.
| factorily accounted for and 76i, valued al
| Sl61M. H. are reported as actually lost
OF the !6i lost, 1915, valued at si;@b "a, wore
made good aud Of the 5jS registered letters re-.
| ported rited of contents, valued at Sa41s.0s the
contents Of u; asgregating IN value sl.5lOi
were recovered and restored to the owners
| Cases numbering }2 remain In the hands of this
special agents under investigation.
tnroupnont the tinted stats during the veal
ended June 30 1876. was f,OOIsT, white this ex.
| hihl' shows an actual loss of only 1.040, about
26-1o0J Of per ceut.. or 235 for every lO,OW
There were 81 failw " post onlce ines in opera.
ton number OF clerks emplOiod LUZ annual
ihe Postal Onion treaty which won't into
| operation at the beginning OF the fiscal year bas
| proved refractory, as under Its provisions ench
country ret ms all the postage II collects. rhe
| cost Of the ir nsatlantic mail steamship service
| ti7s i30 a reduction OF S5j15o from that
| OF the previous ye.
the ives, Indies, Panama, Central AmeIica.
Br zil, Mexico. Bermuda. Nova Scotia. New
Grcnads, Neneluela, ANA Honolulu, amounted
sS. if'''O''' i"O '''' VI 49,
Tns only American steamship lines, nployed
I'm the service are the = cine Natl aud the Phila-
delDhii and Liverpool; all other transatlantic
and Pacific mail services being performed 10y
steamships saiiiug under tue hags OF othet
nations.
POSTAL CONVENTIONS.
Several new postal conventions have been
concluded with foreign countries, as, Tor ex,
amlle. tine colony OF Queensl nd Austr liza
the British COLONY 81 Bermuda, an s".. iona
agreement with japan, rcducinv postage rates
and another Nth Newfour>land. reducing tht
single letter rate to cents. Negotiations arr
also Pending with Peru, Victoria. and Chri
l'"1 post otlice. were established. ana l,l5T dis
nnsd curing e. we NE. ys sg, Of Of p pSese 81
[ were niled by appointments OF the fresident
| The dep .rtmenth OH 'ecs and EMPLOYEES NUN
bered ISL, AS az inst ISL In 1865, Tot 81 otne
J officers and agents in the service o-9of' an IN
! crease Of LIZ. -
g ed during the year, was much Improved. IN
; Postma-ter-Gencral say-; In consequence o
r the reduction made by Congress ut lie last sea
= sion in the appropriations for the free deliver
: service. / was compelled To further reduce th
= salaries paid to the hard worked and faithft
letter carriers In cities whore the free deliver
sv-iein has been established.
"A The domestic money order ohlces was u
= creased by the establishment of @t5 new one
i and they now number JJT. The aggregate van
= OF the money orders Issued was so'esi;yoo ~ an
decrease of nearly siOO,CJc In the amount
oro, - Issued: ny az Increase oil over si'oV
IN the A. says that serious embarrassment
| Inc repnts IN the discontinuance OF the ia
mail trains and in ,nmends that whatev
:. road companies 1t rec.. he investigation ,
}. the railway mail committee sh.- the seryi,
, scribe fixed rates of mail pay foi 'lscreii
. rendered, leaving nOthing open 10 the - &c
: Of the Postmaster General aud that the e.
', tion Of written contracts 10y railroad companlt
shall Ice required as condition Of payment f.
: the service which they perform. After express
l. ing the hope that the Post Oflce Dcpaftmel
Will not always lie q burden on the general trea
!. ury the Postna'ter-ueheNl thus closes h
: report
= The fact that In only seven Of the states m
:, two Territories the receipts equal the cSpend
: turcs. Is sufficient To show that long lime mn
:; elap-e before the remainder will hc able To he
their ~hare of seli-sustaiuius service. 50 Ion
b. a. the Post ONcc Department must follow q
u pioneer to the Iemotc-t settlements, and pi
- him iu conmuni, atln with the centres of trilt
and business. and also carry the mails 10 town
and cities I'm the FIRST years Of thcir existence
. frequently - they are conveyed go those 81 larl
population and moro maturcd growth. So Ion
~ the general treasury viii prohllly have To bear
/ part of the cost. When uur new states and TIE
- r;turies shall hCcoiuc more popu!ou-, and CT
+ ineNhtu-tihle resources more generally dove
l. ulrd, the earnings of the department viii
moro than sufficient t. dpfraK it, snpnsc,."