Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-12-04
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL,
THE ANNUAL REPORT OF POSTMAS-
TER-GENERAl Villas.
Last Years Revenue Less than the Proceed
ing-Reduced Postage Success-The
Dead Letter Ohlce-Free Delivery
Service-Mail Transportation.


WASHINGTON, Dec THE annual re-
port of the Postmaster General shows an
increase in the deficiency of the postal
revenues to sustain the cost of the postal
service. For the year ending June 80,
1888, the total revenue was Sl5, sos, 692 81
and the total expenditures S43, $50, 1902
and deducting the amount credited
Pacific railroad companies for transporta-
ton of mails the total net surplus was ST.
O33 ,233l1. For the year ending June 30,
1884, the total revenue was 43,33S l27OS
and the total expenditures were AS,5S5,
07S.50, leaving net deficiency of S5,246,-
95l .42. For the year ending June
80, 1885, the total revenue was S42,-
$50 50 and the estimated liabili-
ties $50, 942 4l524 leaving a deficiency
of IS, 3Sl, 51l.4l The result to the public
treasury from the transactions of this de-
partment during the past two years is
thus shown to have changed from the re-
ceipt of cash surplus gain of nearly two
millions, to an outlay of over seven mil
lion dollars, or recovering the amount
credited Pacific railroad companies Sl34O,
22G 50 to over eight million. This differ
enCe Is uUe, nlSl, W inc ticCIcdSt VI llc
revenues, which amounts in total to So
947S4S.iS; and, secondly, to an increase
of the expenditures to the extent OF ST.
400 80 So of which S6,042, 439. 10 have been
in the cash disbursements and 1924 ,5166l
in the cost of transportation upon the
Pacific railroads Chiefly, the decrease of
revenue has resulted from the diminish
ment in the rate of letter postage from
three to two cents upon the half-ounce.
which was the unit of weight during the
period. while the increase of expenditures
has arisen principally from the natural
increase of mails 10 be carried and the
natural extension of the service, although
other causes have contributed something
to both effects.
The report continues: The revenue for
the last year being less than for.the pre-
ceding, while the expenses continued TO
grow nearly as before, it might hastily be
inferred that the rate of postage has been
reduced too greatly to justify the eNpecta-
ton that the service will again become
self-sustaining, a more attentive exam
nation gives reason to think such de
ductiOn to be erroneous. The reduction
of the rate took effect on the LIST day of
October. 1883, leaving but nine months of
the fiscal year to its operation and al
though by anticipation some effect was
practically experienced during the ante
cedent three months in diminished pur-
chaSes OF stamps, yet the sales for that
- 's.s,','.,,e &c ,I,,oo ,.o,,t
yielued l0I Cne ailtotlliC VI oli'e e o1nu
STAMPS ooiu sun VI ~ PEI 0e''t 60
Inill W1uiu ny a. ioot 49, hot nbnSors
PliSo' Nhlio VI tiio =. o,i". Ky 49,
liu guy ilis w fuo;r ~
its taking effect were increased III volume.
1t also appears from the account OF sales
that there were large purchases of stamps
anu especlaii! vi stai.ipGu on' 3hH, -,
nai Iuta ~ ra,iarator " to If Rnt
~ we ~, 'F tso W h ~. nou.
tinno nom. nneretiva dnrin7r tho entire YEAR
.lu,to.tsiy opela'i,e uut inS .i,e t 80
IeceIhiS GIosJo, atiu mas oiiiy obn ,a ~
1a''t 'o, ' oS NV i 800 MISUNDERSTANDING
duriur the wear preceding the steady
growth IN the publlc use OF the hlall ser
VICE. .,..,..,, 49,, ..,,.,,,o os,ao,
were newly established and SIS discontin,
ued during the year, leaving at its close
the total number to he 5l,253, of which
2233 were Presldentlal ana i9,9i9 tour;ll
anf. , o., cnai"rhi Ie. en- ~ " npnpmhn,
than durinp the preceding wear, More new
offices were created in the Southern States
than in any other section, as was the case
during the wear before. and it is interest.
ing to note that OF these, Virginia requir-
ed more than any other State-one hun
dred In every State and Territory the
number OF pOstofIices was increased, save
only IN Nevada, i'll which diScOntlnuanCtS
exceeded new cSlapllShHlenlH'
r,asto,.. In,.imi, t,n vaar was II 203 les b\
2G3s than during the year preceding. The
decrease arises from the fact that compar
atlveIy lew Offices were estaollsheu or up
nolhteiits lin',!e uuninG tto bn 1eft I,
to the inroming administration to fiji va
cancies to the number of two Thousand
and upwards occurring during his, perlot
OF service, me number Oh relnovai ~ u 1a-
t t,6 enr NY, Ia' i WAS me nrecedin" twelve
months The vacancies caused by death
were AZ less bv G5.
ns,a
Inc Dea" Le''e' o''c'
In the dead letter Office four million
seven hundred and ninety-four thousant
ai,,ht hmndred and forty nieces wer