Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-02
YEAR WITHTHE MAILS.
.,,saSTER GENERAL Villas
0'' ANNUAL REPORT.

New 90
enbilc Interest
n ,sg1NGroN, Dec. 1.-The annual
~ the Postmaster General, which
Psf .es pamphlet Of 165 pages,
n'1' .ry fun and comprehensive. 1t
4 his the operations Of the department
Inc wear ended June last: the pending
atoms Of the current year, and also
,imstes for the coming year to begin
h ,r novt July. 1t discusses special
/ .'os and recommend certain legislation
r5ing 20 improve the service. The fol-
4 -,nr ia an abstract of such matters as
I.oot interest to the general reader:
4 MA mast wear has witnessed three per-
l.' at tbe head of administration of
VIZ 3o0artment. 1t was, when the year
under the charge of the Hon.
- q. Gresham. who resigned his
s.o IN sept. "A, 1884, to assume the
l,,osof Secretary OF the Treasury. To
A. sncceeded the Hon. Frank HattOn,
Ilsdss service as Postmaster General
Ino'nenced on Oct. IA, 1884, and termI-
,te5 mon the acceptance Of his resig-
.oo an March 7 last, at which date
H. Villas took the office.
4 Tbe fna.clal summary of the year
boas a considerable increase in the def
.Nrcc eff the postal revenues to sustain
~ cast of the postal service. This def
E;e,cy has now attained 10 a large figure,
o5to contribute to an understanding Of
~ csrses for it's existence, and OF the
nsrner IN which they have operated.
H. Postmaster General submits an eX-
Mn Of the past year in contrast with
Er,lar showings Of the two preceding
&eaTs.
4 ,TEsiFNT FOR THE YEAR ENDING SUNE
80, 1885,
s7epue-Ordmary postal ...... $42, lSl,9lO So
Money order business 4Oe,933 so
ro,sl Observation-Disclosures. $40, $50 s43 So
4 81 81 rs - sl9,sl7, 1ss Al
&suma'd Outstand-
"e ---- 9,6O2, 1888 Al
Estimated cash deficiency ........$ 7.O4l ,944 So
a d amount credited Pacific r.
r. companies for transportation
curing the year .................. 1,3i0,226 SO
Total net deficiency (partly es-
tmateQ ..... .-.....-- ...-.-.S o,55l,5Il 81
Chiefly the decrease OF revenue has re-
ulted from the diminishment in the rate
f letter postage from three to two cents
E bon the balf-Ounce, which was the unit
Il weight during the period, while the in
rease of expenditures has arisen princi-
#ally from the natural increase of mails
ID be carried and the natural extension of
8 be service, although other causes have
Contributed something to both effects.
The revenue for the last year being less
Jan for the preceding, while the ex-
lenses continued to grow nearly as be-
81 re- il might hastily be inferred that the
#ate of postage has been reduced too
%Featy to justify the expectation that the
&gyiee
& I'LL AGAIN BECOME sELF-sUSTAINING
Il more attentive examination gives
& eason to think such a deduction to be
& EroneOus. The reduction of the rate
ok effect on the lst day of October, 1888,
#saving but nine months OF the fiscal year
its operation; and although by antici-
#atou some effect was practically eX-
#srenced during the antecedent three
Eontns in diminished purchases of
xamps, yet the sales for that quarter still
#smalned large, and of course yielded for
be amount Of three-cent stamps sold
am % per cent. greater than would have
llsen for two-cent price, while to the
KENT that purchasers had suspended
uyng to secure the cheaper rate, the sales
nmediately following it's taking effect
q ere increased in volume.
decisive, evidence of the restored up
ar1 tendency of the revenue from post
e Is derived from a comparison of re-
pts during the several quarter years of
period under examination. During
zen Of the four quarters of the year end
June 30, 1884, the receipts OF this kind
ere less than during the several CORE
ondng quarters Of the preceding year;
during the first two quarter years of
past fiscal year the receipts
re less than during the CORE
onding quarters Of the year before,
lOugh not to the same extent.
during the third quarter Of the last
az TIE receipts exceeded those of the
I! quarter Of the former year by S127.-
W and during the fourth quarter
I'ler increase was gained, the receipts
postage exceeding those of the cores
llng quarter of the preceding year in
oeIter sum OF S252, 96l 81; indicating
lle growth Of patronage has reached
POINT OF complete c0unteraction to the
Nesslng influence of the reduction IN
rae and marking the turn TO a re-
'e1 prospect Of increasing revenue.
NEW POST OFFICES.
Wo thousand ANA twenty-One Offices
newly established and $50 discontin-
uuTins the year, leaving at its close
oIal number to be 81, 252, of which
were Presidential, ana 9,019 fourth
y. BOTH establishments and appoint
us were considerably less in number
9uring the preceding year. More
Juices were created in the Southern
eo mat IN any other section, as was
'- curing the year before; and it is
sung 10 note that of these Virginia
urea more than any other State---100.
W.T.! state and Territory the number
ouees was increased, save only in
qua IN which discontinuances ex-
new establishments. The number
ypOihtments OF Postmasters during
,soI was II, 203, less by ,, 63S than dur
1V year preceding.
THE CARRIER SYSTEM.
u. hundred and sixty-eight new car
nave been employed, swelling the
~ per in this arm OF the service
nis accounts in part for the
S''s OF expenditure alre adv remarked
qua the remainder was due to the
'9h OF law increasing the comnen-
" carriers after certain periods Of
I'M having become applicable to
" whereby the average compensa.
IN carriers increased (by Sl4 12) 20
leach. The regular appropriation
''V0 was augmented during the
no .9i oy further special one OF
an auu subsequently another Of $751;
patton Of deficiency. The
ue service proved TO be, however.
obsd NEesS o. the first provision, having
ns,, o4t S3,9S5,052 IS, because but
fc5 carriers were employed after
oar'''ase upon local mail matter 40
St-Iel delivery Offices Amounted 10