The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-12-14

Appointments made during the year
On resignatons and commission expired...... 6,14o
On removals.. 1045
On changes of names and sites ............... 25l
On deaths OF Poetmasters....... ...........". 1888
On establishment OF new ofices............. 1888
Total appointments. "-........."......... 8,762
Number OF cases acted on during the year...1O ia
During the last fiscal year the loss and
annoyance to the Department occasioned
by the vicious system of straw bids" almost
wholly diappeared. In all cases of failure
by bidders TO execute contracts under the
law, and by contractors to perform service
in accordance with their contracts, suits
were promptly commenced on their bonds
and pressed to final judgment. The number
OF failures was less than in any other year
for a long period Of time past, aud the loss
to the Department resulting therefrom was
considerably decreased. In fact, it may be
stated that the failures were no greater in
number or amount than would naturally
occur under the most stringent law that
could be enacted.
The Postmaster-General urgently recon-.
mends that the compensation OF POstmasters
of the fourth class be based upon the bust
ness of their respective Offices, as ascer-
tanned from sworn returns to the Auditor of
stamps cancelled.
The reduction thus provided for was met
on some of the great trunk.lines by the
withdrawal of the fast mail which had been
previously established. Over the New
York Central and Hudson River, and the
Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
Railroads, an exclusive mail train, COM
posed Of finely equipped postal cars,
which were provided with all the con.
veniences necessary to rapid and perfect
distribution, was, for few months, run be-.
tween New York and Chicago, on schedule
time or twenty-six hours between those
cities; and over the Pennsylvania Railroad
and its connecting lines limited mail. train,
with superior accommodations, was run be.
tween New York, Cincinnati, indianapolis,
and st. Louis; the time occupied between
New York and Cincinnati, via Philadelphia,
Harrisburg, and Columbus, being twenty
four hours, between New York and In
dianapolis twenty.six hours, and between
New York and ST. Louis thirty.three hours.
These lines afforded facilities for the trans
mission OF mails fr I'm the great commercial
center OF the east to all points in the
West and Southwest hitherto unknown in
the history Of railway transportation in this
country, and enabled the Department to so
completely meet the demands upon il for
speedy transportation, that the most san
gnine expectations of the business commun.
tiles depensent upon them for postal supplies
were more than realized.
Serious endorsements have resulted from
discontinuance of these fast lines, which
have been augmented by the refusal of the
railroad companies to re-establish the in
complete accommodations they had
previously furnished. The mails
are now conveyed between the Allan.
tic seaboard and points in the West
and Southwest with less dispatch, and with
smaller facilities for distribution than were
provided before the Inauguration of the
fast mail system. To be thus compelled to
90 backward in the work Of insuring speedy
a.. t. Ill. a. a.
portant business correspondence of the
country is source of modification to all the
officers of this Department whose duties are
connected with mail transportation. Instead
OF retrograding, the mail system ought to
soon attain such perfection as TO insure the
transportation Of letters, and all other mat
ter not too bulky, from one important point
to another within the time required to con.
vey passengers between the same points
over the sPeediest line of communication.
Indefinite information has occasionally
Deen communicated TO the Department OF
threatened violence to persons employed by
IL IN some OF the States because of their
political opinions and party associations. A
lew postmasters In the Southern States have
expressed great apprehension of their per.
sons' saIety on account OF their connection
with the postal service, and have specially
requested that their reports of apprebenda
danger should not be made public, lest il
should result in the loss of Their
lives. But no positive Testimony
OF actual interference with such Off.
GERS or employees while in the dis.
charge OF their official duties has been sub.
mitted, except in the case of mail messen.
ger at spartanburg, in the State of South
Caroline. who reported through one of the
officers OF the Department that he had been
violently driven away while In charge of the
mails, on account Of his "political afhli.
atoms" The representations of this mes.
senger we're referred TO an Assistant Super.
iDtendent OF the Railway Mail Service for
confirmation of their correctness, who re-
sponded that the messenger had disappeared
from his post Of duty, leaving his work 10 be
performed by substitute.
what the affiliations" of this employee
were, does not appear from his statement or
INA, , OF the officer who investigated the case,
uu. tne Tact of his having been improperly
interrupted In the performance of his duties
seems 70 have been corroborated by his dis