The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-12-15


and appertaining to the basin 'ss OF The
last fl seal year Excluding exp mixtures
and receipts on account OF previous
years) are as follows, viz:
81, 5oi ~
Receipts, ordinary from money order 40. a.
business and from ofical stamps-.'' 2''4os'sss ~
Leaving an excess Of expenditures
receipts of..................." Sisos, lso 90
The expenditures during the fiscal
year were $500, S34.S6 more than those
of the preceding year, and $3,S53, 1880
less than the estimates therefor.
The total receipts for the year were
S1,1l2,61224 Cor about four per cent?
| less than those of the preceding year,
and $l,126,6lS.54 (or about four per
cent less than the estimate therefor.
The increase is largely in the item of
official postage-stamps, the amount de-
rived from which during the last fiscal
year was only $S70,7S0.47, while in the
previous year it was 81 PSI ,3S9.43. Elk
Guiding official postage-stamps ana
money -order receipts from both fiscal
years the reduction in ordinay receipts
was only $3.50, 1929, or about three
fifth of one per cent.
The expenditures and receipts by fis-
cal quarters, and the increase or de-
crease therein, as compared with the
corresponding quarters Of lS74-75 and
| 1S76-76, arc shown in table No. 3, which
accompanies the report of the Third Az
sistant Postmaster-General.
Under the present system Of collecting
postage on newspaper and periodical
publications mailed to regular sub
scribers from the Office of publication,
(Which system originated in the act Of
Congress approved June %, 1874 there
has been collected during the year on
this class of matter the sum Of $l,024,-
719.16, derived from 1866, GAG pounds
at two cents per pound, and 6,9l3,S OS
pounds Mt three cents per pound. The
| increase in the whole amount collected
over that for the preceding year was
$40, 554.S9, or 104 per cent.
There were ia the service OF the De-
partment on the 30th OF June, 1877,
6,o1S contractors for the transportation
OF the mails on public routes.
There were ut the close Of the year
1858 special offices, each with mall
carrier, whose pay from the Department
is not allowed to exceed the net postal
yield of the office.
OF public mail routes in operation,
there were 1924 (of which 96S were
railroad, being an increase OF AZ router
of this class over the previous year,, ag-
gregating in length 292, 800 miles; in an
nual transportation, 147 1853, 25l miles;
in annual cost, $l5,3S4,895. Adding
the compensation of railway post-ofiicc
clerks, route agents, mail-route messen-
gers, local agents, and mail messengers.
amounting to SO, 144, 343, the aggregate
annual cost will be SIS, 529, 238.
The cost of railroad service to June
80, 1877, was 80, 053, 936. The appropri-
alton for the current fiscal year is
| so, 250, 900. The increase in the cost OF
the service to June 30, 1877, was 4.61
per centum. This rate of increase APP
piled to the $9,053,9 1886, would make the
cost for the current year $9,476,7o4.SL.
This sum is used as the basis upon which
to cast the estimate for 1879, and, antici-
pating a marked revival Of business, the
rate Of increase is placed at seven per
centum, making the estimate for 1917 at
$40. 140, 1926.
The number of persons arrested for
offenses against the Postal laws during
the year ended June 80, 1877, was 545,
an increase OF 104 over the previous
year. OF these, 81 were held for trial
in the United States Courts, with the
following results, viz: Convicted, 157
acquitted, 16; not yet tried, l9S. A.
| addition, 172 persons, whose ofienses IL
was deemed advisable TO prosecute IN tho
State Courts, such as burglarics OF post
offices, highway robberies, murder OF
mail-riders, ETC., have been surrendered
to the State authorities for trial.
/ The total number Of complaints was
7 .O39. of which 2, 289 were for registered
letters, of the reported value of $54,-
410.S2; ordinary letters, 3,92S, reported
To contain in money, drafts, etc., $2o8,-
072.78; making an aggregate OF losses
amounting to $312, 1880, and miscei-
lancous cases numbering S22. VI the
registered letters, TIA we're recovereds
266 lost and rifed, with Enclosures
valued at $10,51060, were made good !;
and SaS, Of the reported value OF 49,
COG. %, were irrecoverably lost, leaving
40 still under investigation. This state
ment includes the destruction OF regis
tered letters by railroad accidents, clc /,
except those destroyed in March, 1917,
by the burning of the postal car -
Sedan, Indiana.
The percentage Of actual losses, COM
pared with the number of letters re-
ported registered during the year. ,S46,-
l27-is about one-fftieth of one per
cent, or one in five thousand sent
| through the mails.
. The total weights Of the mails dis'
patched from the United States to pof'
tal-union countries during the year were
: as follows: Letters, 81 ,40l, $50 grams,
equal to 1924, 427 ounces; printed mat
ter and samples, 377, $780, 1854 gramr,
equal to 13, 30S, 1887 ounces, being an II:
creased weight over 1876 Of 74,ols
ounces of letters, and 1,2e9205 ounces
of printed matter and samples.
statement is appended Of the weight q
mails dispatched to each postal-unior
country.
The cost of the United States trans
s atlantic mail steamship service for tn
! wear 1877 was $3.50, 742.48, be ng q re
!, duction Of $l2,60o.61 from the cost Q
e the same service for the year 1876. +.
: The United States hostages on mail
}, conveyed to and from the Wes
q Indies, Panama, Central America, Brs
$ iii, Mexico, Bermuda, Nova Scotia
J. New Granada, Venezuela, Honolulu
: the Australian Colonies, Japan an
J, China amounted to $107 1868. %, and e.
Is cost of the sea conveyance thereof We
e 81, S49. 40. \.
I. The total cost Of the United State