Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-12-03
THE POsT.OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
wAsH1NoroN, NoYember 81

The total expenditures during the fiscal
wear ended June 30, last, were $50, 25l, 1885,
.4G; total revenues, $3.50, 1856, 30707. Excess
of expenditures, $2,4O6,s35. 40; other def
cts, on account of "bad debts" and "com-
promise" accounts, $li,70). S0-maklng the
total excess Of expenditures, $2,4Sl, 129. 35.
The number OF postage stamps, postal
cards, stamped envelopes, etc, issued dur
ing the year was 1,5A,3ll,5 l2, amounting
in value to S34, 625, 1881, against total
value during the previous fiscal year Of $780,
0S7,342.46.
The total amount Of postage collected dur
ing the year on newspapers and periodicals
mailed TO regular subsc bers from known
offices OF publication and from news agen-
cies, at two cents per pound, was $780, 4S-
81, an increase Of $l72, 50G.0G, or little over
IA per cent.
The weight OF second-class matter mailed
was $685., 432 pounds, or 3l,976 tons The
number OF postotlices at which the matter
was mailed was 1921, an increase Of 30S over
the number for the previous year.
DEAD LETTERS.
BY careful reckoning based upon an actual
count made In every post-ofice in the Unit
ed States during the tlrst week in Deem
Der, 1880, 1t has been ascertained that the
whole number of letters mailed in this
country in the last fiscal year was 1885,
1OI, 34S. The number reaching the Dead
Letter Office during the same period was
S,323,62l, or one in every 3l5. The total
number OF letters and of packages that
were OF sufficient value to be recorded and
filed, received during the year ended June
30, 1881, was 1914, POS, an increase Of 35l, =
623 over the number received during the
preceding year. For convenience Of treat
ment they were classified as follows: I'm
claimed domestic letters 2,701, 05); held for
postage, 279, pa; misdirected, 242,5j6 (not
including 81 lSl foreign letters with imper-
feet or erroneous addresses; without any
superscription whatever (the majority Of
them bearing stamps topay postage), 9,47);
letters addressed to foreign countries, and
containing articles (con, jewelry, etc. }
which ard forbidden to be sent in the inter-
national mails, l, 202; letters of foreign ORR
gin, 2Si,1 (of which 81, 1874 were sent to
the Dead-Letter Office on account OF erro-
neous or imperfect addresses); foreign par
cells (unopened), 1856; and domestic pack.
ages, 1851.
OF the letters and packages opened, IS, =
Gil were found to contain money amount
ing to $40, $3.50; 22,O12 contained drafts
money orders, checks, notes, etc., the az.
gregate face value of which was 81, S99, 0G2.
81; 1878 contained receipts, paid note
and cancelled obligations OF all sorts; 80, 73l
contained photographs; 61,55G contained
small remittances OF postage stamps; and
10 70, 213 there were found valuable article;
OF third and fourth class matter In endless
variety. The amount OF nruncJ svParIt0S
from dead letters for which no claiman
could be found was S6, ISL. 40, which wa'
deposited in the Treasury. The amount o.
postage collected upon shOrt-paid matter
forwarded to destination, and upon un
claimed packages of third and fourth elias;
matter returned to owners, was $500. "a
The records OF the Department show tina
S,33S,9lS registered letters and package
were mailed in this country during til
year. OF this number only 2,0l4 reache,
the Dead Letter Office; and Of these ., 10
were finally delivered to the owners, tn
balance being placed on file awaiting iden'
LITIGATION by the parties interested.
THE POSTAL MONEY ORDER SYSTEM.
The operations of the money order sYster
are multiplying yearly under the impulse {
prosperous trade and the influence of imm
grafton, with the rapid development Of tn
newer States and Territories, and the de
mand for additional means OF intcrc)mmu
ncation and exchange. At the commence
ment Of the last fiscal year the total numbe
OF post offices authorized to issue and {
pay domestic money-orders was 4,S2'
During the year 81 additional money ordt
! offices were established, and seven wtr
discontinued, leaving D, 1853 III operation Q
! the 30th day Of June, 1881. Since then 80
! new offices have been established, maxim
! the whole number OF money order offices
operation at date Of this report 5,499. I'll
| number of domestic moneY-orders issue
during the year was 1868, 232, of the aggrC
gate value Of S105, 075, 1895; number of o.
ders paid, 1921, TO, amounting in Value
S104, 219, S7l.65; TO which must be added IL
amount Of orders repaid to remitters S704
$50 so, making q total OF $10i, 024, 1913. G.
the excess of issues over payments w
$3.50, IA; the total amount OF fees pa
by the public to postmasters for the issue
domestic orders was 5000, 1872. Is.
Seventy-seven cases of alleged lost reml
tances Of surplus money order fun
| amounting to $1),753 were under investig
ton during the year, and claims were filC
In thirty.six cases on account of alleged in
s proper payment Of money orders. T
8 amount Of all these claims was S7670
I Their number, compared with tho toll
number of payments made during the ye
. is as one to $211,SSl.
. Ninety mine cases Of alleged improper
paid money orders, amounting to y, 1853.
- were Investigated during the year. In thi
ty-three instances the amounts, the total
which was $477.75, were recovered by pos
= Office inspectors and paid over to the rigt
full owners; in seven cases, ia which t
5 orders altogether amounted to $S4. Is, t
4 paying posIuasIeis "olo' "VoA uuo lu'oS
cation, held responsible for the erroneo
4 payments; in four, where erroneous pa
j. mant was directly attributable to carele'
ness on the part of remitters, payees, or
It dorsees, they were required to sustain I
g loss, Sl24 in nine, the loss, $2GS. So ali
= gether, was assumed by the Department,
g paying postmaster having been found not
: fault: and in eleven it was ascertained Il
e the orders, amounting to S236.52, had be
Il originally paid to the proper person
E. Thirty-fve claims, involving the payment
10 S969. 10, were pending at the close Of the We
i The amount of unclaimed money orde
domestic and foreign, at the close Of
r. fiscal year is estimated by the Auditor
81 GA OO0. UThere Is no proyiSion OF