The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-12-01
Report of the Postmaster General.

Report of the Postmaster General.
The report of Postmaster General Hatton shows
that the total expenditures made account Of the
postal service for the yearended june 80 1884, was
SAC, ,404, S960.65, the revenues were $40, ,818,635
from the ordinary postal service and s519 .492.0S
from the money order business, total of S43, $685.
1270S, leaving deficit of SO, ,O66 ,S33.57. Adding
to this the amount of outstanding liabilities-SS77
47104- and the amount credited to the Pacific
railroad 81 ,260, ,179.5l-the cost of the service
over the revenues is So 204 ,484.12. The revenues
were 81 ITO 565.53 less than those OF the previous
year; the decrease being attributable 10 the reduc
tion Of letter postage from to cents which took
effect October l, 1888. In addition to the an cunt
expended for the service of the year $780, so
paid account of liabilities Of previous years.
making the total amount disbursed during the year
Exclusive of credits to the Pacific railroad) S47
224, ,560.27.
For clerks in post-ofices there was increase in
expenditure of $367 ,979.01. or S.4 per cent; and
for letter carriers $3.50. .90oO1 or 1O.4 per cent.
For railroad transportation the audited expendi-
tures and estimated liabilities for the service of the
year, including also the Gums credited to the Pa
cinc railroads. are shown by the report of the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General at $13 6,163.
The aggregate amount appropriated @ Ted for the s ser
vice OF The year was $40 q 40 0S7 62 or S34l O76.
thereof and S536 394.07 less than the total dis
bursements and outstanding liabilities.
The Postmaster General estimates the receipts for
the year ending June 80, 1886 at $5l ,272, ,S2024
and the expenditures at soc, ,099 1890, leaving
deficit of $4s2B, ,34926, to be supplied out Of the
general treasury.
The past year marked an important epoch in the
history of the postal service through the reduction
in the letter rate of postage from to cents tax
ing effect on the LIST Of October, 1888, under the
provisions of the act of March 1888. AS the class
of matter affected yielded by far the larger portion
OF the postal revenue, the change produced an i'm
mediate fallicg off in the receipts. The ordinary
postal revenue for the year ended June 30 1884
was 81 278 438 "a less that of the preceding year
To this loss should. of course, be added that of the
natural increase to have been expected had the 8
cent rate remained in force. An increase of per
the money order busness.l would amount to 81 058-
1859, which, add@ to the amount previously stat
ed, would give S6,337 l74.S3 10 represent the loss
for the first year under the change in the rate.
Though the cent rate In force during the quar-
ter ended September 30 1883, the sales of stamps,
&c. for that quarter were Sl37, ,27l So less than
the average Tor the three remaining quarters
the 2-cent rate the anticipated change in the rate
having led to serious falling off ia the sale of
stamps. That the loss of revenue was not greater
must be regarded as gratifying in view of the fact
that the estimates on which the change was based
contemplated loss for the first year about SS ,O00
600. 1t is evident, says the report the pred ction
has been fully verified that the reduced rate woud
greatly stimulate letter correspondence. and lead
10 the substitution of sealed Enclosures for postal
cards and open circulars.
A comparison of the issues to postmasters Of 2
and 3 cent stamps and stamped envelopes for the
nine months ended June so, 1888 under the Scent
rate, with the issues Of 2 and Scent stamps and
stamped envelopes during the corresponding nine
months euded June 80. 1884, under the 2-cent
rate, may be found of interest in this connection,
though aHordng no certain indications of the
actual sales. During tho nine months ended June
stamped envelopes issued was 1O4, ,642 125, valued
at $3,o92, ,S42.5o, and of Scent stamps and
stumped envelopes 653, ,629, $780, valued at $19,-
Cos 1890. The number Of 2-cent stamps and
stamped envelopes issued during the nine months
ended June 80 1884, was 955 ,427 400, valued at
$19 los, ,54S, and Of 3c5nt stamps (the issue of g.
cent stamped senvelopes having ceased, was 127,-
300 valued at IS, ,Sl9 The total number of and
Scent stamps and envelopes issued, therefore,
az $21701, ,722.40, and during the latter period
e55,554,7 700, valued at SIS, 1857; an increase
in number Of 1877 1888, ,245. or 26 per cent, and
decrease in value of $2,5S9, ,355.40, or 11.9 per
cent
In postal cards there was decrease in the issues
OF 10 GAG, 900, 45 per cent, for the year ended
Jane 80, 1884, as compared with the previous
year. Daring the preceding five years there has
been an average annual increase of 1858 per cent.
The amount OF postage collected on second class
matter during the year was S1.sS9, ,592.14, an iu-
crease of S1S4 4,414.61, or 1882 per cent over the
previous year. There was also an increase OF $3.50
per cent in the fees collected for registered letters
the previous year. The gross receipts OF
articles of undeiyered mail matter during the year
were A, ,751 ,872, being increase Of a little more
than eight per cent. over the previous year. There
was decrease In the held-for-postage matter re-
colVed OF 44,OSl, or ABOUT 81 per cent, which was
caused by the reduction of postage letters (many
of those which were formerly de aimed for postage
in cities having been aetally prepaid by 2 cent
stamp, land the changed method OF treating such
matter in post offices.
There was an increase in other classes of matter
as follows: Misdirected letters, 1876 per cent;
foreign letters, IL per cent? and in letters return
ed from abroad. 1913 per cent. OF the letters and
parcels containing merchandise jewelry, books and
miscellaneous articles of sufficient value TO be
corded, there an increase of 8.4 per cent. In
opening the letters it was discovered that 1887
contained money; 20,26l contained drafts, money
orders notes, etc "a 399 contained receipts, paid
notes. ETC.; "a 0S8 contained postage stamps, and
SS ,34S contained photographs. Great effort is
made to restore letters and parcels to the owners
All those found to contain articles of value care
fully recorded. that the fiual disposition Of them
can be ascertained at any time.
The amount realized from the sales Ofarticles for
which no owners can be found is deposited in the
United States Treasury. The proceeds of the last
auction sale. which was in January, 1884. was ST.
916. .43. The money separated from dead letters
which cannot be restored to the sender is also
placed in the Treasury, and the amount deposited
from that source during the year was 81 ,239.47
The value Of postage stamps received from various
sources and destroyed was 80 082.1S.
During the year 1853 postmasters we're sp-
pointed.
The free delivery system was extended during the
year to five additional cities, and the number of
carriers was increased 10, making the total num-
service 7504, ,206.52 or $40 446. .s8 less than
the appropriation The postage ON local matter at
the several offices aggregate $4 III, ,4S4S7, an in
crease over that of the preceding year OF S4l7-
1855: and over the total cost Of the service OF
81, 1,2T3,2TS3 36. The Postmaster General recon-
mends reduction of postage on local letters to
cent. He also recommends the of a special
stamp for letters mailed aad intended for special
and prompt delivery at free Offices This stamp
should be of the denomination of ten CENTS and
when affixed to letter, in addition to the proper
postage charge. should insure for it speedy de-
livery as possible after its reception at any letter
carrier Office.
The appropriation for clerks in post offices for the
present fiscal year has proved Inadequate and sal
aries have had to be reduced. balOW in
cases was only fair remuneration.
The Postmaster General recommends that Con-
gress enact a law whereby railway postal clerks
shall bessecure in their positions and be liable to
removal only for one of the following causes viz
incapacity for the duties of tho Office disobedience
of official Instructions inattention to neglect Of
duty intemperance, or conduct unbecomiDg gem
tleman.
The total weight of the mails dispatched to postal
union countries, exclusive of Canada, during the
last fiscal ear was 2l6 572,391 grams, or O.
679 S5l pounds, an increase of l4B, ,86l pounds
over the preceding year. The weight of the letter
and postcard mails was 225 Sal ,232 grams, or
497 ,S89 pounds, and of the printed matter and
pounds, AN increase compared with the preceding
year of 16, 412 pounds Of letters and postcards
and 13O. 44S pounds of printed matter and samples
Compared with the weights for the fiscal year 1888
the percentage of increase for letters and postcards
is 3 Al per cent for printed matter and sample
mails, csc per cent, and for all the mails 5S per
cent
The Postmaster General thinks the compensation
of American vessels for carving the mail is not
enough. and he believes the Postmaster General
ought to be given some discriminating power in the
matter as in the case of the inland mail service
The gross revenue from the postal money order
system for the year from domestic business was
$24l,7 s1.S4, and from international business
S115,1 .21. After deducting all ascsrtainable
expenses there was net profit Of S244, ,S5G.Sl.
reduction in money order fees is recommended.
The number of postal notes issued from Septem-
Der 3, 1888, to June 80 1884, was 1888 237;
amount: 81 All .4s; number of postal notes
paid, $50 ,314; amount, 81 IbR 1889; amount
OF postal notes repaid sos 741 AZ; amount Of fees
Sl10,2S28S. The revenues derived from postal
notes to the close of tho fiscal year amounted to
S33, 1920. The Postmaster General thinks the
law in regard to postal notes should be amended
as m auah ha