The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-12-01
THE NATIONAL POSTOrrrCE.
syMOpAis ~ Mr.. James, Yearly he.
pOfes

general financial statement, BY which II appears
that tho total expenditures made on account Of
service for the fiscal year were SO, ,25l, ,7S6. 49,
The revenues were $50, 7s6, S97. .07, made mp OF
ordinary receipts, ESQ. ls0, $685. and from the
money order trsinoss, e20D, CSiSo. Tho total
excess of expenditures over receipts on account
Of tho tiscsl yenr was 42,Asl, 1893 OF which
sll,79).sG appears on tho books Of tho Auditor
for "6ad debts" and compromise accounts"
In addition 10 tho expenditures above stated,
the sum Of t340 10 was paid oi account VI
indebtedness incurred In previous years. maxi
eSS. il .S2o. .GGS a. Tho aem Of compsnsatlon 10
postmasters was the only ono In which the ex-
pcnditure exceeded tho appropriation the lat
ter amounting 70 II, 500, 900, and tho former to
~, 29a, ,7l2S9. In the remaining items there
wal total unexpendcd balance Of the appro-
psiations OF t75l, ,0O7.73.
Tho total amount OF appropriations was ESQ.,
2O4 Dol. 40, leaving m excess of expenditures Of
tl6, ,63506, growing out Of the excess OF COM
pensatlon TO postmAstcrs. The receipts for tho
year were "a. 460, DISCS, or l0.4 per cent, moro
than those of the preceding year. and a. 67t,-
Sg7.07, or 14.2 per cent, more than the estimate
which was made two years ago, before tho pres
eDt period OF business prosperity had fairly
begun, to which the increase ID In large degree
attributable.
The estimated expenditure for tho current
6scal year y $!s, CO., 500 the estimated ordina-
~ revenue II sl2, 56l, ,722.O6, and moncy-orler
business &lSa, 900, making . total estimated
revenue Of $42. .7ll, ,72205, leaving an estimated
deficit Of $g2O,O77.0 90 to be appropriated out OF
the treasury. The decrease IN tho estimated
amount Of money-ordcr receipts Ii owing to
contemplated reduction Of the fees on money
orders for small amounts.
The total income from tho sale OF postage
stamps. stamped envelopes aud postal cards for
tho fiscal year was 81, Gas A35.Ol, against eS2-
O65, Sl2.i6 In tho proceeding year, IN increase
Of ~ per cent
Tho total amount Of postage collected during
tho year on newspapers and periodicals mailed
70 regular subscribers from knowu offices Of
publication, AMI from news agencies, at 2conts
per pound, was &i. .39e, GlS.64. an increase Of
el72,5ys06. or i little over IA per cent
BY careful reckoning based upon an actual
count made iii livery postoiiice in the United
States during the tirst ". ok In December, 1Ss0,
il hns been asccrtained that tho whole number
Of letters mailed ~ this couatry in tue last
reaching tho Dead Letter Office during the
same period was 3,3l3,Gal. Or one in every 3l5
Of tho letters and packaHes opened, lS,6l7 were
found to contain money amounting TO sin, SS7.-
80, 22,0l2 contained drafts, money orders,
checks notes. ctc., the aggregate face value of
department show that S,S3S.9la registered let
ters aud packages were mailed in this country
during the year. Of this number, only 26la
reached the Dcad.l.cttcr Office, aud Of these
2l3l wcru finally delivered to tho owners. the
balance being II ccd on lilo awaiting identitca-
ton hy the parties intcrcsted.
Tho amount " unclaimed money. orders. do
nlcstic aud foreign At tho close OF the fiscal
year ended June ID, 1881, il estimated by the
Auditor ~ sl,25c,ouu.
postal order for sums lcss than OK, for 8
ceuts, ii under consideration.
The Postmaster General recommends postal
ssvlngs repositories NJ worthy tho considers-
ton Of Congress.
In regard to inland transportation, the ~.
port states that on June 81, 1881, there were
B l56 contractors for transportation u malls on
inland routes.
There were in operation 1854 routes tof
which l.lN were railroad routes, showing an
the last annual nrortl. aggrees,lng IN length
SAl. Op6 m.lcs, aud in annual cost, Sl9, Sl3 $50.
Tho service was divided Ms follows.
Railroad routes, ftng'h, al,a69 miles. an.
nual transportation. los. .52l, ,2a9 miles. annual
cost, ell,6la 3is tiaclnding <l.36t,l07 for
railway possoslice-car serviccA about ~ cents
per milo.
Steamboat routes Length. 2i.13S miles !;
annual transportation 5,n465O7 mlse8 an
nual cost, six, ,l67. ahont lava cents per mile.
Star routes, on which tho mails are re-
Quircd 10 be conveyed with celebrity. certainty
| transportation, 7aas7. 30 miles annual cost,
| eAa57 ,S5A about !. Il cents per milc
There arc SOA ot,ices supplied by mail naes-
sengcrs. at an annnas cost ot &76a.aAl.
| The railroad routes ", ~ increased IN length
| 6,3AO miles, and ia cost *i,ltA3Sl
Tho steamboat ruatcs were decreased II
length Z lS2 miles, and ia cost elSl, l,054.
Tho "star" routes wcrc decreased in length
| A.9i0 miles. and in cost <S6l,llA
The report then says that tho founders Of
| onr postal system intended that Il should be
| self-snrporting. and procecds 10 give history
of its growth aud the gradual reduction in post.
| ago ana the annual deficiency.
| According TO the report of tkc Second Assist
Ant Postmaster General, which he quotes, the
total reductions during the last fiscal year in
| the star service WAS &65S.Sa2 per aanunl, but
some Of the orders did not take effect until the
beginning Of the present tiscal year. The net
reduction, allowing for new and increased
hcn II the cost of steamboat service was I'M
nOA from which il 10 he deducted the cost of
Increased service, SS0,6s3 making tho net N.
ductien $s5l, $50. Thus far in the current ns-
cal year reductions amounting to s7ol. ssl have
been made in the star service. The net rcdnc-
tons nom July to Oct. 81. in tho star and
steamboat service. arc ssa2.2ss.
/ In leaving the consideration Of the star routes
the Postmaster General says minute investi.
| CATION into alleged abuses in the starroute ser
v,cc was instituted hy direction Of tho late
| rro>ia.nt. and il still being prosecuted. The
| fostoilseo Department has co-operated and
| will continue 10 cooperate with the Department
| Of Justice in this Investigation. No ono who
has not Teen d,r,ctly concerned In the matter
4 can fully appreciate tho magnitude of the
undertaking., the mAss of record evidence ex>
smined, the difficulties of rcrsonal inycsti-
cation in srarsely-setted territories aud tho no
sults attained by the patient and intelligent
AborS of the iMspcctors of this department..
| There can hc no don1t, from the facts already
ascertained, that the existing statutes leave the
abundant ground for asking judicial investi-
| cation OF tho transactions of the last few
ycars
The report then turns to tho question Of q
reduction in tho rates of postaSS and says il
the Recommendations for = decrsasc in the cost
the reduction Of letter postage from Ito cents
will be possible Within three ycAr~ II believes
/ this reduction could BE- accomplished without
/ the proportiouate dlmiauticn Of receipts which
followed the adoption Of Scent postage in
There wcrs asls new postofaces established
dMrrS the rear. and sn equal number Of new
iostnlastera The total number Of employees
| in the department Juno Sa, lSSl, WAS 6l,iiA,
against ~. $50 June aa, lSSA
The report urges the extension of the frcc-
delivery system and collection system, ~ il las
eNVu lNNttN tttSN Nttu SNuSetlteklNS VI WcllSVkN
and deposit acts rs su incentive 10 letter
| writing. There mas an increase during the
| year Of Sl,uNG, 40 IN the number IL letters and
other articles of mail mater delivered aati
colscted hv carriers,
Attention Ia invited to the fact that. Of the
l.6@ complaints et registered letters aai
, packages as lost, nt..d. taMlsred with ami
Retained. aasa Mess recovered Or Satisfactorily
accounted tor, leaving only 2,O6l still under
Investigation or finally closed AZ lost. including
lossss by frc. highway ruhteries aud other
thefts. by comparing this number, 2,06l,
| with the entire name.r of letters and packets
registered during the year. namely, SS0o, 600,
the certainty aid security Of the registered
mail Is clearly demonstrated
There were ,s6a ordinary letters reported
lost, Of which IL lns were letters with valuable
inclo<ures, aud 4, lal contents not specified. Oi
this number l,sa' were reported - being do
hvcrca.
/ Thrive hundred and twenty-three robberics
ofpostofhc8 were reported during the rear,
and ninety-tw0 ofliccs were burned. Roh6eried
u mail staSes on the highways numbered
oishty-six. One hundred and thiyty-nve COM
AT