The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-11-17
POSTAL MATTERS.
Amount of business Transacted and Hts
Cost the Past Year-RepOrts of Two
Government ORicials.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16.-Henry d. Lyman,
mittsd his annual report for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1884. 1t shows the cost of in
land transportation for the year was $20,699,-
III. commparison with the last annual
statement shows for Star route service an in
crease of 402 routes, decrease OF Sc miles, and
increase OF $3.50, 1853 in the annual cost; for
steamboat service, an increase of two routes,
decrease OF 502 miles, and of $11 ,048 in the
annual cost; for railroad service, an increase
of 90 routes of 6,952 miles, and of 81 124 803 in
the annual cost. The Star service in operation
al the close of the year exceeded in extent the
average of the preceding five years and was
performed at a diminished cost. The annual
cost of the Star service for 1884 was S. 089 941,
and sor the preceding five years Sc, 1914, ,802, a
decrease of 1874 per cent. The estimate of
$5900,000 is submitted for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1886.
Considerable space is devoted to the dis
cussion of the question of railroad rates, which
Mr.. Lyman says has been before the public
since the beginning of the railroad service, and
has given rise to controversies between the de-
partment and railroad companies which have
been detrimental to all its interests involved.
He embodies plan for gauging the pay Of
railroad companies for carrying mails in the
draft Of the proposed bill and asks the Post
master General to ulge upon Congress the i'm
pOrJaDco OF ltS adoption tie also submits the
draft of proposed bill to regulate the letting
OF mail contracts, and says that if it be enact
ed it will exclude from competition at general
lettings all persons who now secure for the
purpose of sub-letting over three-quarters Of
the routes annually advertised and who in
their endeavor to acquire the largest margin
OF profit sub-let service.
Mr. Lyman estimates that SIS, ,6S4, ,205 will
be required to defray the cost of railway trans
portation for the fiscal year 1886, including
payment to Pacific roads, and he recommends
that S266, ,764 be appropriated fer special rail-
way facilities. the continuance of which he
says is required by the interests of the people.
The report of James s. Crawford, supsrin-
tendent of foreign mails for the fiscal year
ended June 80, 1884, shows that the total
weight of mails despatched during the year
from the United States to counties and col
onies of the universal postal union, Dominion
OF Canada excepted, were 2,679,85
pounds, an increased weight over
the preceding year of 146,S61 pounds.
The weight of the letter and postal card
mail was 497 ,889 pounds, and of printed matter
and sample matter 2,181 1851, an increased
weight as compared with the preceding year,
OF l6, ALI pounds of letters and cards, and $780,
44S pounds of printed matter and samples; OF
letters and postal cards despatched, 900
pounds we're sent to Great Britain and Ireland,
LID, 1913 pounds to Germany, 141 ,659 to other
countries of Europe and Asiatic Turkey, and
1887 pounds to other postal union countries
The total cost of the maritime service for the
fiscal year, was $685., 3,221.