American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-11-29
Report Of the pestmaster-General
wAsuIxaroN, lyovember d.

lrformatios. 1frSaiy pnbfisfea in the abstracts
/ of reports of his subordinate Cfffcers.
RAILWAY SERVICE.
the Postmaster-Genera renews tho recon-
.hrpdation contained in his last report for the
ton of railroads for carry. mail upon q basis
of space speed and frequency, suppfgnentesd!
by the weight Of the mails carried The rail-
road companies have as a general thing neg
ected to furnish statistics of receipts, expendi-
tiirhs hta M reqiiested The recommends
ton Is fo 20 earee
facilities for tn Aprompt transmission On nlssffd
by railroad he increased this year 20 y Cd.
June, 1873, was at the rate Of sesaa 80 per an.
huta, an increase over the cost Of the service
CREASE does not However. represent the asf, TAI
+; %a r; s. ssEsa q rsaasti9a II Az Ps ssas
amount q this ded1etion Is. in round md num- UNI
s esrs ncreSss e. assg %t1 s the ev ss is
being little less than. 5.5 per cent. The
general increase Of business gu over the
present prosperity viii continue for. soma
years, will require the appropriation for the
increased to at least SO, 100000 and the esti-
mate is accordingly placed ut that sum. The
for 1851 is placed at $3.50 Coz. The Postmaster
General earnestly renews the recommenda-
employees of the halfway Mail Service By the
General superintendent that service.
THE STAR" ROUTES.
the crescent Sw reposas InaI 81
Compensation for Increased speed and i'm
cresed. frequency Of service upon = star
honsges sna
results in great loss to the Government, and
recommends legislation to enable him to re-
The estimates for star service the next
fiscal year contemplate the continuance Of the
present efficient service in other States, and
largely increased mail facilities in the States of
Indiana, Ohio. Kentucky, South Carolina,
Mississippi and Alabama: The total amount
asked for" star service the next fiscaI year Il
ice by steamboats, Is 500, 900.
FAST MAIL SERVICE
with Havana via Cedar Keys and Key w est, I'd
order to inject the demands Of eommerce, have
suficiency of the compensation allowed bx
law for such service. IF the PostmastersGens
eral were authorized to contract for service
between Havana and the United States ports
mentioned at sufficient rate Of pay to secure
the necessary speed and frequency, the
" benefited. believe that general Ds srf Ia.
should be passed authorizing contracts for
the west Indian and south American poTts ai N
Amer1can-built steamers Carrying American
flags. at fixed minimum and maximum price,
the amount to be expended regulated by an
niIal appropriations; or the service might be
thrown open to competition, the same as the
By Congress would enable this country to con.
troll the profitable commerce with South
almost monopoIized By Great Britain." = NO"
LOTTERIES.
In regard to the use of mails by lottery com
Sections s,229 and 4,0i1. Revised Statutes. be
amcnded BY striking out the word :. fraudu- |
section, which win make the Legislation more
harmonious and effective. 1t would aid the |
the law If the provision Of Section 1859 reauir.
Ing the return to the writers of registered let
lers addressed 70 such schemes were in terms
The circulars recently issued upon this subject |
are given, and reference is made to a case now |
louisville, which, when decided, says General |
Key, will avatl myself of the decision to +
communicate further the views Of this Depart |
ridual may forfeit his right TO use the mails
Tor legitimate purposes by voluntarily ming. /
er so that the Department must carry both or I
icither is n question upon which additional |
the b ef sns
'agc by mail of newspapers containing lottery |
dyer, isements soliciting violations Of the
n % tho statute now in force still moro
THE NEW POSTAGE RATES.
'or new classification of mail matter, and
t the last session Of the FortyftS Corr
has given universal satisfaction.
POSTMASTEIf8.
Under the heading Of :. Protection to POST
Inys: . desire respectfully to can your atfen-
Itafute imposing penalty on any one for as
laulting or molesting postmaster in the dis.
.eyenue officers, and 1 earnestly request that
congress be urged to pass such statute"
ame es Of Sew
lieged infringement of letters-patent in the
use Of canceling stamps, General Key says an
g other postmasters are liable to be subjected
o expense in the same manner, because these
,ost-offices Of the country for the last ten
fears, he desires to call attention to
l he faes that there is NO prossyision q
probable cause" to United States officials
,ther than officials in cases of adverse
,acity. !" In the present instance Mr.. James,
g postmaster, uses the canceling stamps fur
udres hin have pntent bY snc
lse. The Judgment for damages is against
i'm personally. In like cases the property Of
evy: Isubmit that similar protection is due
o all Government employees when acting in
DuTIABLE NATTER, ETC.
Tho report recommends that the provision
f Section II of the act of March Q, 1873, author.
to adopt regulations for de-
VERY to addresses in the United States of
irritable books. with the collection of customs
uties thereon, be extended to embrace all
rticles of dutiable matter received in the
nails from foreign countries.
ation to enable the Department to adopt
eneral regulation Of the Postal Union relar
eeistered articles lost or destroyed IL the
ostal service.
The report goes on to say that "the increas-
ng demands of the postal service call for
irge increase in the appropriation for the
ayment of clerks in the post-ofices. The es-
innate, SO, 65000 for this item is greatly be-
ow the actual need for the service. j have SO
however, because did not desire
be revenues and the expenditures of the
department. To provide a less sum for the
or will cripple the work of the post-oifices,
nd in many instances delay the transmission
T mails"
THE FREE DELIVERY SERVICE.
The free-delivery service is mentioned as
aving obtained great success, but the Post
ropriations more frequent deliveries could
Q secured, and such improvement he believes /
1ould meet with universal commentator in
20 is reported in the funds available to pay
he lettcr-carriers' increased salaries anthor-
led by the act of last February, and Congress I
requested to supply it,
THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
{ interest made are, in brief, that Congress
hould provide at the next session for super
eding at the earliest possible date the mail
,cks now in use by others of new and improved
10000 is submittedD; that the Public Printer
e authorized TO print new edition of the codi-
ed Postal laws and regulations, to be sold to
ne Department to contract for the publication
T q monthly Postal Guide for term of five
ears.
AT Balouki, near Constantinople,
here is Il well wherein some goldfishes
vim, one draught from which cleanses
he conscience of a years misdeeds, and
!