Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-12-06

law fixes the compensation of postmasters
| and authorizes them to retain il in account
| ing for the proceeds of their offices. Th
increase in the expenditure for clerks il
| postoffices was S45S, ,6s2.S1. or about IL pc
cent, over that of the previous year; and 10
letter carriers 1t was $3.50, 0,04S.77, or 20 pc
cent.
The estimated total expenditures and liza
| bilities for railroad transportation for ISS;
are S1l, ,S04, l72.66; add amount credited Il
| Pacific railroad companies $9l5, 1922. anC
we have the estimated total cost of railroad
transportation for 1888 at Sl2, ,7l9, ,SS2sS.
As compared with the previous year, there
was decrease in the expenditure for stal
service of 81, 042 939 So, or IS per cent
Congress appropriated 81. 902, 1880 to sup
ply estimated deficiencies in the postal reye
nue. for the year ended June 80, 1888, and
S2, l52 25S was appropriated for like pur.
pose for the year ended June 30, 1852. These
appropriations remain undrawn in the treas
| ury, the postal revenues having been found
more than sufficient to meet the expendi-
lures of both years.
The receipts for the fiscal year ending June
| 80, 1885, are estimated at 81, 1O4, ,07S, and
the expenditures at $50, ,O62, lS9.
Unusual difficulty is experienced at this
time in foreeasting the postal revenues by
reason Of the recent reduction of postage.
The number of new pOstotfices established
the past year was 3253 an increase of 81 over
the previous year.
The total cost of the free-delivery service
was So, 173 1861, leaving an unexpended
balance of SIG, ,666. .49. The increase OF cost
over the preceding year was $3.50. .0737 77. This
was owing to the extension of the service to
~ additional cities in diff rent sections of
the country, employing in the aggregate ID
carriers, also to the appointment of 343 ad-
ditional carriers in the older free-deIivery
cities, likewise to the increased pay of auxili-
ary carriers from $500 to $500, AID the pro-
motion of carriers from the lower to the
next higher grade at the expiration of one
years service, as required by the act of Au-
gu t 2, 1882
The number of mail letters delivered dur
ing the fiscal year was 342,013, $50, an in
crease of 14.66 per cent. over the preceding
year.
PRESIDENTIAL PoSTMASTERS.
The number of presidential postmasters is
now 2l95, and the aggregate sum of their an
nual salaries according to the adjustment for
October l, 1888, under the new law will be
about 50, 80 600. As these salaries are now
based upon gross receipts the sum required
to compensate postmasters depends largely
upon the condition of the business interests
of the country, and upon the result (as yet
problematical) of the recent reduction of the
rate of letter postage from three to two cents.
For the fiscal year 1885, the salaries of presi-
dental postmasters are estimated at 81, ,O0O-
co.,
The salaries of presidential postmasters
have been adjusted on the basis of the gross
receipts as required by the act of Congress
approved March 8, 1888. This was never
done before.
The gross receipts of the 2193 presidential
offices for the fiscal year ending June 80
1883, amounted to s33, ,535, 253 95, or "A. % per
cent. of the entire revenue of the depart
ment for the same period, while the fourth
class offices, Il, $50 in number, yielded only
Sll l,6l4, 1865, or 25.72 per cent. of the reve
nue..
The salaries OF postmaSters at presidential
offices amounted in the aggregate to S3, 707,-
800, or 11.06 per cent. of the gross receipts.
The cost of inland mail transportation for
the year ended June 30, 1888, was S19, ,234,-
S99, being total increase of but 1858, ,S47 or
about 1.9 per cent, over the cost of the same
items for the previous year.
STAR SERVICE.
The present status of the star service shows
for 1888 a cost of S4, 739, AIS, with a. 99S, ,7S2
miles of annual transportation, against a
cost of S7,32l, 499, with 5000, 995 miles of
annual transportation, in 1880, being an in
crease from 1880 of !, ,927, 7S7 miles of trans
portation and S25S2, ,02l decrease in cost
This service is now all performed under con-
tracts made upon proposals submitted in re-
sponse to advertisements. The only change
in the contract rate of pay, fixed by compe-
tition, has been for increase or decrease in
trips or distance, and it may therefore be
said to be upon healthy basis.
RAILROAD SERVICE.
As to this service it is the general opinion
that the rates of pay have been greatly in
creased of late years; the fact is otherwise
The cost Dpr mile of in 1874
was 1l.4 cents; in 1888, Notwithstanding the
enormous increase in the weight of mails
and the superior facilities provided for dis
tribution, the cost is 1915 cents per mile.
PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANIES.
The relations between the government and
the companies owning the subsidized Pacific
roads are unsettled and unsatisfactory.
For some years the entire earnings of these
companies, whether from their own or from
leased or operated lines, have been treated
as 4 credit against their indebtedness to the
United States. During the past year it has
been decided by the courts that the amounts
earned on non-Subsidized roads must be paid
to the companies; this adds over $500 ,0On
per year to the amount necessary to be ap-
propriated for railroad transportation. Here
after only the earnings of the subsidized
companies will be credited by the treasury
as payments on their Indebtedness to the
Oulteu cIdtes' 1neSe earnings are proper
items of cost against the revenues of the de-
partment, and should be SO treated.
The report of the general superintendent
Of the railway mail service shows satisfactory
progress in that important branch.
POSTAL MoNEY-oRDER SYSTEM
During the past year there was steady in
crease of the money-order business. The
gross revenue for the last fiscal year from
domestic money-order business was S311,-
704. 81; and from international money-order
business for the year ended June 80, 1882, it
was S99 99l4.1O. There was net profit of
$159, 104.34 after all expenses paid from ap-
propriations had been deducted
HELD-FoR-PosrAGE MATTER.
The new mode of treating held-for-postage
matter by which the addresses are invited
by postmasters to remit the postage and re-
ceiye the ma ter directly from the mailing
office, and thus prevent it from going to the
dead-letter Office, was found to work so salts
factorily at the free-delivery offices that an
order was issued on May 10, 1883, extending
it to all the presidential offices, to take effect
on July /, 1888
OF REGISTERED LETTERS
The actual and estimated losses Ia num-
Der of cases still being under investigation,
were only 627, or, say, one out of every 16.-
S97 letters and parcels forwarded This
small proportion of loss is unprecedented.
Legislation is asked for to carry into effect
the provisions of article of the conven-
ton of Paris, relating to indemnities for
losses OF registered letters in the mails:
and also to enable the secreretary of the
treasury and the postmaster general to adopt
regulations for the transmission to addresses,
through the mails, of such dutiable articles
of mail matter as may he received in the
mails from other countries.
POSTAGE ON DRoP-LETTERs
Some desire has been expressed for re-
duction of postage on drop-letters from two
cents to one cent. That two cents should be
charged for delivering q letter in the CITY
where it is mailed, while the same price will
transport it across the continent, is said to
be anomalous. The postmaster general.
however argues against any reduction of the
two-cent rate on drop-letters, and remarks
that the plan OF rating postage according to
the distance of the carriage was wisely aban-
doned almost forty years ago.
At II offices only was the cost of delivery
exceeded by the local p stage.
WEIGHT FOR FIRsT-CLAss MATTER.
After careful consideration l am of opin-
ion that the unit of weight for rating first
class matter should be changed from one
half m ounce to one ounce. This change.
in connection with the recent reduction of
letter-postage from 3 to 2 cents, would place
this country on an equality with any other
in respect of cheap postage. Great Britain
maintains a more liberal unit of W, light for
rotip laffarc md IL,