Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-13
WASHINGTON NOTES.
Post Office Department Figures-Fixing
the New Internal Revenue Districts
Randall and CaIlisle-A Story of Lin
coin and stephens

'"u'Ai anu OaAIIsle-A Story of Lin
coin and stephens.
Special Correspondence OF the Mornino yeaos.
WASHINGTON, July 10.-The figures of
the Third Assistant Postmaster Generals
office show that for the first nine months
OF the fiscal year just closed there was an
excess of receipts over expenditures of
$2,5O9, 442. The receipts were $33, ,446. 1856.
and the expenses, $31, ,436, ,914. As the ac-
counts OF Postmasters for the last three
months of the fiscal year have not been re-
ceived and audited it is impossible to tell
exactly how the service stands for the
whole year. 1t is estimated, however
that the total excess of receipts over ex-
pend1tures for year ended June 80
last will be at least three millions of dol
lars. This will be a larger sum than was
expected. 1t is only within the past two
years that the postal service has become
selI-sustalnlng. During the fiscal year
Oh 1ooI-S2 there was surplus of $1,500,-
900. The increased amount of surplus
for the year 1928 certainly bears Olrt
the wisdom of reducing letter postage to
two cents. The 1882 SO surplus would
nave been greater than the estimated
$3,OO0,00O had it not been for two causes.
Postmasters which took effect March 3
WAS ONE OF THOSE CAUSES.
The otheris the fact that people have
not been laying in much of a supply of
stamps and stamped and ''return"' en-
velopes. They want to work off their
present stock, so as to be ready for the
twO-cent postage next October. OfcOurse
this does not apply to those who use the
mails in an ordinary degree, but to mer-
chants and other business MEN who must
carry on very large correspondence.
General Hazen, Third Assistant Postmas-
ter General, told me to-day that there is
not the slightest danger of the reduc-
ton OF letter postage causing
the department to again fall back to the
Notwithstanding point. He did not
THINK that the reduced postage would
conduce to more letter writing. The rev.
enues from that class of mail matter
would decrease. But there is constantly
an increase in the quantity of second and
third class matter, which will tend large
ly to cOunteract the reduction for letter
carrying. Especially is this so in regard
TO third class mail matter. The increase
in that class is something wonderful.
Every day things are sent through the
mails which before went by express. In
fact, in the matter of packages, and even
very unwieldy things, the Post Office De-
partment is encrOaching rapidly upon the
business Of the express companies.
THE INTERNAL REVENUE BUREAU
is preparing for the change which will be
brought about when the consolidation of
the districts goes into effect. This will
be ON the 10th instant. 1t requires a good
deal more work to accomplish the consoIi-
dation than one would think. There is a
great deal of labor involved. All the
forms and books in the bureau here will
have to be changed. And then
the outgoing Collectors will have to
wind up their business and
turn it over to the man whose district
will also include theirs. The internal
revenue system of bookkeeping is a COM
plicated one, and all of the officers ramify
a great deal, more perhaps than is neces-
sary. 1t has been matter of a good deal
OF trouble to get up instructions to Col
lectOrs for their guidance in the work of
consolidation. 1t was found impossible
to get up such as would cover all ques-
tions. So only general directions have
been given; special questions will be
disposed of as they arrive. Although on
the surface the consolidation will be
made on the 10Th instant, it will be sew
eral months before it is actually accom-
plished.
THE FRIENDS OF MIR. RANDALL
Are very busy trying to give the impress
sion that Mr.. Carlisle is out of the Speak
ershlp race. They say that the fact that
MIR. Carlisle has announced himself as a
candidate to succeed Senator Williams
is proof patent of what they
have known all along, that Carlisle.
having done a good deal of canvass
ing on his own behalf, finds that
his strength is not sufficient to warrant
any great hope that he will get the
Speakership plum, and is therefore back
ing down. This is very kind on the part
of Mr.. Randalls friends-it is most ex-
ceedingly kind. Mr.. Carlisle has repeat
edly said that he is as much of a Speaker
snip candidate now as he was before he
announced his Senatorial aspirations.
But that makes no difference to Mr.. Ran
dalPs friends. They know that a good
way to injure a man for a popular office
is to have it go abroad that he is himself
very weak hearted about it and don't
think his chances good. So they do as
they are doing. Mr.. Randall and his
friends are very shrewd wire pullers, and
certainly know what manipulation means.
AN INTIMATE FRIEND OF GEN. GRANT
says that the latter told him this story
about the time the Confederate Commits
sioners met President Lincoln during the
late war president Lincoln and the
late MIR. Stephens met on board the boat
Mary Martin. Mr.. Stephens was wrapped
in a huge Overcoat and looked much
larger than he really was. He was very
cold. He sat down beside the stove to
warm up. Finally he got the blood into
active circulation and the huge Overcoat
began to get uncomfortable. In a little
while he got up and pulled it off,
"When" said Mr.. Lincoln to General
Grant, 81 looked at the overcoat on the
chair and Mr.. Stephens sitting on another,
| thought it was the biggest shuck for the
smallest ear of corn that l had ever
seen -