Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-11-12
The Post Office Department.

Sla,eQ tnat the total expenditures for the fiscal
year ending June 90, 1878. were s34. I65, ,0s4 49,
and that the revenues were $40, 1856, show
| ing an excess OF expenditures over receipts Of
g. 561.54. The sum of s299, 1860. paid on la-
bllltleS incurred in previous fiscal years. Sh0ud
be deducted from the amount of expenditures
leaving S53,S74647.59 as the amount ey-
pended in 1Sl,-7s. Delucting this amount
from the total appropriation, there remains
an unexI ended balance OF s. sa4. -. which
however. viii be largely reduced when the un-
adjusted liabilities for the year have been paid
The expenditures during The year were $s!s-
I62. .95 more than those OF the preceding year
and the total receipts were SlI45 93l 6s more
than those Of the preceding year. The estt-
mated expenditures for the year ending June
80, 1880, are s36,51l 900. and the estimated exec
OF expenditures over revenue, to be apron lated
GU out OF the general treasury as a deficiency. is
S5,s0 $40 10. The unpaid liabilities of the de.
partment for the fiscal year ending June 80
1918, is estimated at $3.50. GOO
There is total Increase In the value of post
age stamps, stamped envelopes. and post al
cards issued CT $I975, 920, the increase on the
different items varying from $40 to is per cent
the increase in the amount Of postage collected
On newspapers and periodicals over that col
lected the previous year is S46l Sd.
1t will be stated that no material change in
the amount Of dead letter matter received - in
the mode OF its treatment in The dead letter
office has been made since the last annual re-
port. Tie whole number Of letters and parcels
received was 8. lS6 sos. daily average Of %. ISL
Tie amount OF money deposited in the treasury
during the year from letters for which 10 own
erS could be found was ss,937.01.
Inc total number OF registered letters and
packages mailed during the. year was 1885, ,o0i
The amount OF fees collected was S4!4 999 10 an
increase over the preceding fiscal year o.
S41,5t0.60. The losses during the year We're
unusually small, having been less thau one
hftieth OF one per cent. Of the numbe Of letters
and packages Transmitted. ON the ist Oh OctO-
her last the registry system was extended ID
mail lnatter of the third class, ana 1t is already
evident that the extension mas noE only sIp:p,is+
benetcially 10 the postal revenues.
ANNUAL RErORr OF THE SUPERINTENDEs-1 or
RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
II appears from the annual report Of the Sll-
rerintc ndent Of the railway mail service thai
there has been an increase in the force and
expenditures of the office corresponding TO the
large Increase III the mails passing over the
various railroads in the proportion Of the same
handled in the postal cars. Tie registration Of
third class matter will largely Increase the
work in connection with the handling Of reg
1stered matter in much greater pr9pOrt ion
than according 10 the number of pieces
handled, as it is bulky matter and cannot be
handled and recorded as expditiously OF as con-
Veniently as the registered letters The eSti-
mates for the bureau for the year ending June
80. $50, are. for railway post office clerks
sl,4Go0Co. against l.S2509o this year; for route
agents Sl125,000 against 81 03G 600 this year. for
mail route messengers 100000. against sIU 900
this year; for local agents s!50,o00. against
s.l5 o this year. In respect TO salaries in the
office. it is pointed out that they do not repre-
sent the net amount received by these employees
as out of it must come their expenses
wien away from hcme and attending TO their
duties. And in this there is no uniformity. the
lnoSt faithful and energetic are likely to have
their salaries reduced the most. IL the present
organization one general superintendent. Two
assistant SurerintendentS, and nine division
SUI erlntendentS are expected 70 keep the SyS-
TEN in perfect running order on 95.8a0 miles Of
railroad and steamboat routes over which there
IS Performed nearly n,oDo,deo miles OF annual
service; surerntend and regulate the workings
OF 2,GoS employees; regulate and correct he dis
tr1bution at all post of caS. The eSte bliShmeu of
a grade OF officers TO be styled chief head clerks
with salary not 10 exceed 81 ,3i9 per annHn
ara actual travelling expenses not 70 exceed -
a day is recommended. II is recommended that
the distinctions in The classification Of railway
post cflce clerks obsolete i'll practice be aban-
doned II apf ears that while the nile Ot all
| 'ial service have increased in much greater pre-
portion than The miles OF route, the Increased
expenditure Is less than the increase in Tie ser
vice. In the service On railroads improved DOS
tai ears have been built and new trains have
been adCed.
The number Of pieces Of mail distributed dur
ing the year was 2,2l5.aso, ,650, and the nUIGber
OF errors Was d5, ,G62; $40 were distributed 70
each error. an Improvement over The previous
year, wien the pieces miSSent were one in
every 2.5c0. It is recommended that pay Tor
certain period should be allowed for all killed
in the service, and pensions for all injured in
proportion to the extent Of their injuries.
Eald!y week passes but some empioye is
Killed or manned, or otherwise in lured in railroad
accidents, and for this there is no compensation.
Recommendation is renewed that a small sum.
say $500, be appropriated for experiment in
hght, as II Is becoming more and more essential
each year that some more improved method OF
lighting postal cars be adopted.
Ex-SECRETARy BOUTWELL, ON THE POLITICAL
SlTUATioE.-At reunion OF the MiddeseX club,
Boutwell, said that if Gen. Butler had died in
July the republican party would have been
beaten. eve are" he said, '.indebted to him
and the elements brought into the campaign for
activity which lC fO win
this victory. The administration since last
July, think, has done its duty in regard to
southern affairs. But there is one idea pre-
dominant, more important in the estimation of
republicans than tn Financial question even,
and that is, whether the million OF men, en-
franch1Sed American citizens, are to be eXttn-
gulShed as political power. tGreat applause. |
Now, for two years the republican party OF
Massachusetts has been very silent upon that
subject or have not given an unqualified ap-
proval OF it. say TO all my political friends
who have hesitated upon that point that the
time is near, If IT has not already arrived,
when there Will be no future for the republican
party unless ii devOteS itself to the maintenance
OF the rights OF 100000 human beings.
the life OF King Alfonso of Spain was com
menced Yesterday at Madrid. The sentence of
death Will be promulgated to-day. His counsel
ony nI shat fo ne n or at
The prisoner was not present at the trial.
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY occurred on Sunday.
On farm near ChenangO, New York which
was owned Jointly by three brothers. James
and David Baird quarrelled about the division
of the property, when David killed his brother
James with pitch fork, and then blew out his
brains with Shot gun. David leaves a wife
and four children. James was unmarried.
Ex-PREsIDEET GRANTS BROTHER-IN-LAW Mr.
COrb1n, in an interview published in the New
York Herald, states that the story of the Gen.
erals connection with the tanning business is
erroneous, and he does not know how it origi-
mated. He does know, however, that General
Grant never was tanner, and was never in
any manner engaged in that trade Mr. COrbin
does not believe that the eX-President is at all
desirOuS OF returning TO his old duties at WASH
ingtOn, and does not consider that the repub-
ncan party is dependent on any Individual. II
circumstances should so Ahape themselves as to
convince the party that Grant would be the
strongest candidate, and TO make the republican
national convention desirous OF nominating him,
he does not doubt that the General would regard
1t as duty to accept.
INVESTIGATING TIE CAPE MAY FIRE.-The au-
thOrlties Of Cape May, N. j., have begun an in
veSttgatOn as TO the cause Of the disaSt rouS fire
which occurred there on saturday last. Much
interest and some excitement attends the in
NeStigat1on, in view Of the general suspicion
that the fire was caused by incendial1Sm
RAN FROM THE SHERIFF TO DEATH-Peter Fro
man, who was eXtradited from London on his
own confession Of being guilty OF the murder of
.fnnr, NJ Drrl1 ,rr-