The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-01
'THE&G00D SHO7VINGe
OF TIE POSTAL DEPARTMENT..
Receipts and Expenditures Of the Year,
Ensctof the Reduction OF Letter Postage.
ssme Good Sugges.,ons-C Changes
..H. in tho Laws Recommended, y


| ssne oood sugge..,ons-Chnnges
in tho Laws Recommended.
WASHINGTON, Nov. o9.-7The Postmaster
General haH submitted lis report to iii.
President, and thclfollowing EXTRACTS are
taken from it: The total expenditures
made OH account OF the service Of the fis
cal year ended June 30. 1884, were S4U,
404,&0 O5. Tho revenues for the yea,
were as follows: Ordinary postal revenue
S2,SlS.Gi5, net revenue from money order
business Sjl0,492 0s, total Si3,33s, l2s OS
Excess OF expenditures over receipts
s, ,00G, ,S33 81, to which should be added
estimated amount OF outstanding liabili
ties $S77,47l o., amount credited on books
OF Treasury to Pacitic Railroad Companies
81 ,eG0, 10 81; which gives estimated cost
OF service over the revenues for the fiscal
year $ 204 ,4s4l2. I'm y
| The revenues were So, ,l70,h65 50, or Al
phio percentless than those OF the previous
year; the decrease being gSattributableet
tho reduction OF letter postagcIirom 2 to !
cents, which took effect October I, 1888,
The estimates for 1885, are AS follows
Ordinary postal revenues $50,S7o, $50 "a +;
net receipts from money order business
si0O,O0o N, total S5l 81, $50 a.; Estimated
expenditures, including amounts credited
under existing law 10 Pacific r.ilroud com.
panies SIT, ,000, 100 80; detlciencytto be sup:
piled out Of the general Treasury $l,seG,.
$40 ~. ~. - ~ - +
TWO CENT POSTAGE. {...
The past wear marked an Important
epoch in the history Of the postal service
through the. reduction in the letter rate OF
postage from 3 70 acents, taking ouect on
the LIST ots0etober, 1885 under, the provi-
sions Of the act Of March 8, 1883 As the
class Of matter affected yielded by far the
larger portion OF the postal revenue, the
change, Of course, produced an immediate
falling of in the receipts. The ordinary
postal revenue for the year ended June
30, 1884, was S2,27S,4:iS "a less than that
Of the preceding year. Tothis loss should,
ofcourse, be- added that Of the natural in.
crease 10 have been expected had the g
cent rate remained in force. IAn increase
Of 9 percent on the ordinary revenue
Of 1883 (exclusive Of the money
order business,] would amount tn
Sl,05S, ,736 80 which, added to the
amount previously stated, would give
SB,$7 Ia So to represent the loss for the
first year under the change in the rate.
Though the scent rate was in force
during the quarter ended September 30,
1883, the sale. of stamps, &C., for that
quarter were sl37.557l IS less than the
average for they three remaining quarters
under the 2.cent: rate J the anticipated
change in the rate having led TO d serious
falling oil lin 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 Of about s, ,000,O 900. tbs evident the
prediction, has been fully verified that the,
reduced rate would greatly stimulate,
letter correspondence, and lend to the
substitution of sealed Enclosures for. postal
cards and open circulars. -. st'H'5a;1i'' -
In postal cards there was a decrease in
the Issues OF l6, 6,64O,O00, or-4.5. percent, for
the year ended June 80, rlSS4, rs com
pared withithe;p ;previousYyear.% it.1f 49,
The number Of letters and parcels sent
through the registered mails during the
year, was II ,246,545. T.G., &. ,>r &
The gross receiptsof articles Of undeliv-
cred mail matter during the year were
I,75l 1872, being an ilicrcuse Of little more
thans percentoyer the previous yeur. I,
DUTIES OF posrMAsTERs. sg5y'
In regard to the duties Of Postmasters
the Postmaster General says: Postmas-
tiers at first and second class offices should
be required to give their. entire time to
their official duties, and should not be
permitted to engage in any other business
that requires any portion OF the time for
which they are paid by the Government.
The result should be brought about if it
requires statutory enactment to effect it.
The. ..iree-delivery system was extended
during the year to four. cities, making n
total number OF l59 free-tieliyery Offices.
The total number Of letter carriers is
$780,. ze
The Postmaster General says that the
free delivery system has reached that
point when IL is largely self sustaining,
the surplus lastyear amounting to s., ,27S,-
27S IS. He recommends n reduction OH
local letters toone cent. 100 ,,,i q
| Tile Postmaster General recommends
the adoption of ~ special stamp for the
speedy ileliveryof letters in free-delivery
cities, and TINT the amount Of the stamp
be ten cents. 5.i'tist.. ~ ~, H95o =. 4 i.5.
A standard weight for first class mail
matter is recommended and that the unit
Of weight in rating letters and all sealed
packages be changed from oue.half ounce
TO one ounce. This obviates a great deal
OF trouble now experienced nnd would be
q saving Of time to clerks and employes.4H
~ .: orplCII. BoSDs.' = I ',s;tI I, + 4
In regard to official bonds OF paymastcrs
d change in'the' law is recommended SO as
to authorize the head Of "a Department. 10
accept corporate as well as individual: s,:
reties.upon official bonds! = -;
Considerable. attention Is given 10 the
railway mail lIseryice and permanency in
appointment tdf Head clerks in the service,
is specially urged Tbecause Stheir!renioval,
except 7for cause, would. be u great detri-
ment to the service in destroying its. .ettlci-
ency for some time. 4 :: =
Z At the close Of the last fiscal year there
were G,3l0 money.order offices, nh increase
of 3S3 over the previous year. Their
transactions aggregated Sl?2, ,l2l POI 0s in
domestic lnoney.orders issued and $l2l,-.
OIL ,OS2 S0in domestic orders paid and re.
paid, 81, ,GSS, ,778 81 in international orders
Issued and s3,57l ,0G6 So in international
orders paid and repaid; ;thc total issues be-
ing. $780, $40, ,03s 81 and the total payments
and rcpayments Sl25, 5,542, l4o 16. s!IE}t tz'-t Z,
After deducting all asccrtainablo expen-
ses Q! every kind there was net profit OF
S244,S58 81. k
Il The postal note system has been Il great
success. OfStlie total number OF trans.,
actions the money.orders. comprised GS
percent and the postal notes SO percent.