The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-12-14

25f 1851. The deficit supplied out Of
the general treasury was 81 ,4Sl 1885,
or 3-lO per cent of the amount ex-
pended The receipts were SO ,460, ,9lS.63
IN excess of those of the previous
year. and 1850 ,3o7.97 in excess
Of the estimate made two years
AGO, before the present period
Of business prosperity had fairly begun.
The whole number of letters mailed in
shis country in tho last fiscal year ex-
ceeded l,O00,O00,O00. The registry
system is reported to be in excellent
condition. having been remodeled during
the past four years with good results.
The amount of registration fees col
tected during the last fiscal year was
@712. .882.20, an increase over the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1877, of $345 ,443,-
40. The entire number of letters and
packages registered during the year was
8,338,919 of which only 2,06l were lost
or destroyed in transit.
The operations of the money-order
system are multiplying yearly under the
impulse Of emigration, of the rapid
development of the newer States and
Territories, and the consequent demand
for additional means of intercommuni-
cation and exchange. During the past
year 1888 additional money-order offices
have been established, making q total
of ,499 in operation at the date of this
report. During the year the domestic
money-orders aggregated in value Sl05,-
075,T69.35.
A modification of the system is sug-
gested, reducing the fees for money
orders not exceeding SIS freIn ten cents
to five cents, and making the maximum
limit Sl00 in place of $50. Legislation
for the disposition of unclaimed money
orders in the possession Of the postof1ice
department is recommended, in view of
the fact that their total value now ex-
ceeds one million dollars.
The attention. of Congress is again
invited to the subject of establishing a
system Of savings repositories in con-
nection with the postoffice department.
The statistics of mail transportation
show that during the past year railroad
routes have been increased in length
6,249 miles, and in cost 81 ia ,3S2 while
steamboat routes have been decreased
in length 2 1872 miles, and in cost $134,-
054. The so-called star routes have been
decreased in length 3,949 miles, and in
cost 1864, ,144. Nearly all of the more
expensive routes have been super
seded by railroad service. The cost of
the star service must therefore rapidly
decrease in the Western States and
Territories. The postmaster general,
however, calls attention to the con-
stantly increasing cost of the railway
mail service as a serious difficulty in the
way of making the department self
sustaining.
Our postal intercourse with foreign
countries has kept pace with the growth
of the domestic service. Within the
past year several countries and colonies
have declared their adhesion to the
postal union. 1t now includes all those
which have an organized postal service,
except Bolivia, Costa Rica, New Zea-
land, and the British colonies in Aus
tralia.
THE STAR ROUTE CASES.
AS has been already stated, great re.
ductions have recently been made in
the expense of the star route service
The investigations of the department Of
justice and the postoffice department
have resulted in the presentation of in.
dictments against persons formerly con
nected with that service, accusing then
of offenses against the United States.
are charged with the conduct of the
cases on the part of the government
and upon the eminent counsel. who
before my accession to the presidency
were called to their assistance, the duty
of prosecuting with the utmost vigor o.
the law all persons who may be found
chargeable with frauds upon the posta
service.
The acting attorneygeneral calls at
tion to the necessity of modifying tn,
present system of the courts of tn,
United States, a necessity due to th,
large increase of business, especially il
the supreme court. Litigation in ou
Federal tribunals became greatly ex
panded after the close of the late war
So long as that expansion might be at
tributable to the abnormal condition il
which the community found itself i'm
mediately after the return of peace
prudence required that no chang
be made in the constitu
ton Of our judicial tribunals
But it has now become apparent tina
an immense increase of litigation ha
directly resulted from the wonderful
growth and development of the country
There is no ground for belief that th
business OF the OnlCed states courts VII
ever be less in volume than at present
Indeed, that it is likely to be mucl
greater is generally recognized by tn
bench and bar. In view of tn
fact that Congress has already givel
much consideration to this subject
make no suggestion as to detail but ez
press the hope that your deliberation
may result in such legislation as vii
give early relief to our oyer-burdene
courts. The acting attorney-genera
also calls attention to the disturbance {
4 the public tranquility during the pas
year in the Territory of Arizona. Z
band of armed desperadoes, know
as cowboys" probably numbern
from fifty to one hundred men, hav
been engaged for months in committin
acts Of lawlessness and brutality whic