Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-02
OUR POSTAL AFFAIRS.

OUR POSTAL AFFAIRS.
Postmaster General villas Reports Upon
the Operations OF the Department
The Decreased Revenue and the
Foreign Mail Controversy.
Postmaster General Villas has sent to the
President report Of the operations Of the
Post Office department for the past year. ear
ried on under three heads-Hon Walter O.
Gresham Hon. Frank Hatton and himself He
then goes on to speak of the increased de-
ficiency in the postal revenue To sustain the
cost of the service, which now amounts to over
seven million, and which is attributed to a
decrease in the revenues and an increase i'm
the expenditures. Chiefly, the decrease OF rev.
enue has resulted from the diminshment i'm
the rate OF letter postage from three to two
cents upon the hall ounce, while the increase of
expenditures mas arisen principally from the
natural increase of mails To be carried and the
natural extension or the service although
other causes have contributed something 10
both effects. Gen. Villas. however cntcrtains
the expectation of considerable increase
during the current year in the receipts from
the rate of letter postage has been reduced too
much.
The actual increase i'm railroad service during
the year was 40 routes. 3.s12 miles. and
81 81 $3.50 I'm annual cost Steamboat service
on June 30. 1855, performed on j uteS,
aggregating in length 1897 miles. at an an
nual rate of expenditure OF SSH 1869. There
was a decrease of one route and OF ss351l in
annual cost during the year. The star routes
eating i'm length 2S2. 222 miles. and then stood
:it an annual rate OF charge Of SJ,4l4.S 0i. an
ii,.a e of a!2 routes, 5.ta; mics, and
S'2 SOB in cost tor the year. The increase was
chiefly i'll western states and the territories.
THE SPECIAL STAMP DELIVERY.
In regard to the special delivery stamp his re-
port states that few changes will be made
which will enable the system to be safely cx-
tended to all offices in the country. and also
states that IL its use extended to all malta
bic matter the valIic of the system would he
enormously enhanced. He recommends that -
O'Clock p. III. be fixed the latest hour at
which special deliveries shall! be made from
carrier-delivery offices, and seven at other
offices. except where mails arrive late and be-
THE FOREIGN MAILS SUBSIDY.
The appropriation for the foreign mail SER
vice, including transit the Isthlnus of
Panama, for the current year was SS0O.O0O,
and the Postmaster General was authorized TO
enter into contracts ;or the transportation of
any part of the foreign mails. after legal adver-
tiseinent, with the lowest responsible bidder,
at Il rate not exceeding so cents IA nautica mile
! terminal points, provided the mails so con-
tracted shall he carried on American steam
ships, and the aggregate of such contract shall
not exceed one-half OF the sum appropriated
Upon careful inquiry it was finally decided to
be ineXpedient and improper to exert the au-
thority of the act TO contract for ocean service
! upon the mileage plan OF compensation. \
! statement compiled in the Office OF the foreign
mails shows the total miles sailed last year,
and to have been expected to be sailed this year
| by all American companies. 10 be over
! 2,05O,OOO; and the total conpe nsation at the
maximum rate would exceed 81 OBJ, 900, or
over two and one-half times the utmost au thor
! lied expenditure.
Only two routes are navigated by more than
one American company; one between New
! Francisco and Japan and China. To have So
| licited competition by advertisement would
! tition to bring the bids below the maximum
| rate was possible The consequent seems
uudeniable that the department must either
have made choice Of certain routes, whose total
mileage would have demanded no more than
! The limited sum, and, by ostentatiously calling
! through advertisement for d competition which
could not come, have distributed the whole
! bounty to the chosen. entirely excluding the
others: or else have SO planned its advertise.
lncntS to meet the circumstances of the only
| possible bidders, that. by concerted under
| standing with all American companies. such
contracts might have been made for such sums
| TO each thatthe whole appropriation would be
| q ivided between them.
The act Enthusiastically contemplated that the
| government should secure the gain of compe-
! tition. The department., under these circum-
| stances, declined 10 make contracts upon the
mileage land awtitthe meeting of jongress.
70 which the subject will he referred FOR con-
7 ffderation and direction. The United States
Nail Steamship eompny tSe Red b Line o
!. Venezuela, the New York and Cuba Steamship
| company, the New York, Havana and Mex
Steamship company and the clyde line To
! Hayti, san Domingo and Turks Island, pro-
! tested against this conclusion of the depart
ment. Rejecting the offer of sea and inland
! postage, the several companies named, except
| the United states and Brazil Mail Steamship
| company, refused from and after the first of
! August last To carry other mails than such as
were dispatched to Those countries with which
! they had made contracts requiring the service.
! This attitude they have since maintained, and
| the transportation of the mails has been some
what embarrassed and some public incOnven-
! fence has been sustained in consequence. The
report states that it is worthyof serious consid-
GRAFTON whether the steam hips which have the
| protection of the government should be Suf-
Tered TO refuse their service if the compensation
/ provided shall be esteemed unsatisfactory.
| That should be cOncl;sively determined by
/ Congress or by the department.
THE DEFICIT FOR NEXT YEAR.
The total sum of the proposed appropria-
lions for the postal service of the next year is
| $54,9S6, 1869. The estimates indicate a def
cheney for the year 1887 OF S1,443 9I4.25, not
reckoning the cost OF transportation OF the
mails by the Pacific railroads, which will be
placed to their credit. The principal feature
! in the raising of our postal revenue to which
governmental care may now be possibly re-
quiste appears In the Postmaster Generals
| view, to be the impartial adjustment of the
taxes levied on the various articles trans
| ported.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
The report recommends that the carrier de-
| livery service be extended to places containing
|
| ceipts.
1t also recommends that authority be given
| for the employment OF a distinct class OF col
| lection carriers, the collection service in the
larger cities to be Kept distinct from the de-
livery service.
| Some change in the law for conpensating the
| railroad service is apparently desirable. The
Postmaster General calls attention to the abuse
| OF the mails by those who seek the money OF
others through appeals to cupidity Ignorance or
| folly. He asks that Congress enact a law MAX
| ing suitable provision for railway mail clerks
killed or injured in the line OF duty. He re-
| quests legislation to authorize all letters ad-
dressed in care OF hotel or inn,i not delivered
within specitied time, to be forwarded to such
other address as should be designated.
| A Runaway Marriage.
| THE DAUGHTER OF SKATING RINK MANAGER
| ELoPEs WITH CONTRACTOR.
Miss May NcDannold, seventeen years of age,
the daughter of Mr.. R. E. McDannold, of Cow
ington, KY, who is the manager of the Queen
! City skating rink of Cincinnati, eloped on Sat
| urday afternoon with Edward Bowen, of Cow
| ington They came to the Grand Central depot
| in Cincinnati, but seeing Mrs. McDannod and