The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-12-02
THE NATIONAL POSTOFFICE.

THE NATIONAL POSTOFFICE.
| Synopsis of TEr. James Yearly Re-
port.
! Postmaster General James report for the
| fiscal year ended June so, 1881, opens with the
general financial statement by which it appears
| that tie total expenditures made on account of
service for the fiscal year were $50, 251, 1856 46.
| The revenues we're 1886. 7S5, 1891. 81, made up of
ordinary receipts, $50, 4S9, 1859, and from the
money-older business, $295, $3.50. The total
excess of expenditures over receipts on account
Of the fiscal year was So. 481, 1885, of which
| S14,79). Sc appears ON the books of the Auditor
| for bad debts and compromise accounts. y
| In addition to the expenditures above stated,
| the sum OF $340, 825.76 was paid on account of
| Indebtedness incurred in previous years, max
! ing the total amount expended during the year
| $39. 500, 566 %. The item of compensation to
| Postmasters was the only one in which the ex-
! penditure exceeded the appropriation, the lat
ter amounting to 81, 800, 600, and the former to
| IS 299, 742.79. In the remaining items there
was total uuexpended balance of the appro-
| priations of $751;, 907.73.
The total amount OF appropriations was S39,
204. 901 40, leaving an excess of expenditures of
| FIG S35 06, growing out of the excess of COM
| pensat on to Postmasters. The receipts for the
year were S. 46q, 9l8 63, or 1914 per cent, more
than those Of the preceding year, and "a, $780,
997 81, or 14.2 per cent, more than the estimate
! which was made two years ago. before The pres
| ent period of business prosperity had fairly
begun, to which the increase is in large degree
| attributable.
The estimated expenditure for the current
fiscal yeaf is $40, 661 1905 the estimated ordina-
| nv revenue is $40, 56l, 72205, and money-order
| business $4,000, making total estimated
revenue Of $40, TAI, 722.05, leaving an estimated
deficit of 1920, 077.95 to be appropriated out of
| the treasury. The decrease IN the estimated
| amount of money-order receipts is owing to a
contemplated reduction of the fees on money
| orders for small amounts.
! The total income from the sale of postage
stamps, stamped envelopes and postal cards for
the fiscal year was S34, 625, 1891, against $32,
| 095, 342. 40 in the proceeding year, an increase
| of 7.9 per cent
The total amount of postage collected during
! the year on newspapers and periodicals mailed
| to regular subscribers from known offices OF
| publication and from news agencies, at 2 cents
! per pound, was 81, 399, 04864, an increase OF
| $172, $685. or a little over IA per cent.
By careful reckoning based upon an actual
count made in every pOstoffice in the United
States during the first week in December, 1880,
! it has been ascertained that the whole number
! of letters mailed in this country in the last
! fiscal year was 1,046, 107, 348 The number
| reaching the Dead Letter Office during the
same period was 8, 523, 62l, or one in every 3l5.
! OF the letters and packages opened, 18,617 were
! found to contain money amounting to $40, $751;.
| 80; %, 012 contained drafts, money orders
checks, notes, etc., the aggregate face value OF
which was 81, 899062.61. The records Of the
department show that 1888, 918 registered let
| tiers and packages were mailed In this country
Il, he ,bor. O.
reached the Dead-Letter Office, aud of these
| 2,13l we're finally delivered to the owners, the
| balance being placed on file awaiting identified
ton by the parties interested.
The amount of unclaimed money-orders, do
nestle and foreign, at the close of the fsca
! year ended June 80, 1884, is estimated by the
Auditor as 81, 100000
postal order for sums less than IS, for {
| cents, is under consideration.
! The Postmaster General recommends postal
| savings repositories as worthy the considera-
| ton Of Congress.
In regard to inland transportation, the re-
port states that on June 80, 1881, there were
5,156 contractors for transportation of mails on
inland routes
There were in operation II 592 routes (of
which 1194 were railroad routes, showing an
increase of seventysix routes Of this class since
the last annual report), aggregating in length
The service was divided as folows
Railroad routes Length, 81, $50 miles an
nual transportation, 103, 52l ,229 miles annual
cost $11, 613 1868 (inclUding $1,364, 107 for
railway postofice-car service), about 11.22 cents
per mile.
Steamboat routes Length, 81, 1873 miles
annual transportation, 5.046, 507 miles; an
nual cost, S753, 167, about 1892 cents per mile.
Star routes on which the mails are re-
quired to be conveyed with celebrity, certainty
and security . Length, 1893 miles annual
transportation, rs, 557, 1896 miles annual cost,
| $5, 957, 355, about STA cents per mile.
There are 5,014 offices supplied by mail mes
sengers, at an annual cost of $763, 341.
The railroad routes were increased in length
6,240 miles, and in cost 81, ia, 1872.
The steamboat routes were decreased in
length 2, 1S2 miles, and in cost $134054.
The "star" routes were decreased in length
3,949 miles, and in cost 1854, IA
The report then says that the founders of
our postal system intended that it should be
sef-supporting, and proceeds to give history
of its growth and the gradual reduction in post
age and the annual deficiency.
According to the report of IKE Second Assist
ant Postmaster General, which he quotes, the
| total reductions during the last fiscal year III
the star service was 1856, 1872 per annum, but
some of the orders did not take effect until the
3
reduction, allowing for new and increased
service. was 1864, IA. The aggregate reduc-
ton of the cost of steamboat service was 1882,
009, from which is to be deducted the cost OF
increased service, $50, $685. making the net re-
duction $551, 1856. Thus far in the current is-
cal year reductions amounting to SOL, 551 have
been made in the star service. The net reduc-
tons from July to Oct. 81, in the star and
steamboat service, are $532,257.
In leaving the consideration OF the star routes
the Postmaster General says minute inYesti-
CATION into alleged abuses in the star-route SER
wee was instituted by direction Of the late
President, and is still being prosecuted. The
Postofice Department has co-operated and
viii continue to cooperate with the Department
of Justice in this investigation. No one who
has not been directly concerned in the matter
can fully appreciate the magnitude of the
undertaking, the mass of record evidence ex-
amined, the difficulties of personal investi-
cation in sparsely-setted territories and the re-
suits attained by the patient and intelligent
labors of the inspectors of this department.
There can be no doubt. from the facts already
ascertained that the existing statutes leave the
way open to great abuses, and that there Il
abundant ground for asking judicial lnVest-
| cation of the transactions of the last few
| years.
| reduction in the rates of postage, and says II
| the recommendations for decrease IN the cost
/ of railway service be successfully carried out
| the reduction of letter postage from to cents
/ will be possible within three years. 1t believes
| this reduction could be accomplished without
| the proportionate diIninutioD of receipts which
| followed the adoption of Scent postage il
1851.