The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-08-19
A PROOF BY FIGURES.
Tie Success Of Postmsster-Genersl Villas
Administrations Demonstrated by Cold
Facts.


Administrations Demonstrated by Cold
Facts.
The annual financial statements OF
the post-office make showing that
must be extremely satisfactory to the
Administration and its friends. Since
the new Administration came in all
contracts for adhesive stamps, postal
cards. stamped envelopes and wrap
perS, and mail-bags and mailbag
catchers, RAINING four years, have
been let at rates that for the whole
contract term on estimated quantities
would come to So, 397, 429. At the
prices of the former contracts these
articles would cost So, IA, 25S. Here is
saving for the four years of 81, $40,
388. or 1919 per cent The four classes
OF articles enumerated above, and
the official envelopes. tags, ETC.,
wrapping paper. facing slips,
Irvine, marking and rating stamps.
letter-balances and stationary, which
are contracted for annually. cost for
the fiscal year, under contracts made
since POstmaster-General Villas took
Office, S1O5,S00. The same quantities
under the contracts existing March i.
1885, would have cost SS9l.0S3. Here
is an annual saving of Sl74. 222, or 10. Z
per cent. For the miscellaneous ex-
penses of the department, exclusive OF
salaries. the appropriation for 1886 was
Sl3S,S5 the expenditures were SS9,-
$50. and the uneXpended balance was
S49,Ol5. For 1885 the appropriation
was S127,9l9, the expenditures S11S,-
3Sl, and the uneXpended balance only
SO, 351. The decrease of the miScel-
laneous expenses for the year was S28, =
5S4, or "a per cent Among the items
of supplies above mentioned the only
one which does not show decrease in
the cost was that of letter-balances.
That shows an increase of Is per cent.
The reason of this apparent increase
was that the figures of the previous
year were false. Two years ago an ex-
ceSsive number of balances were bought
by the department at unusually high fig
ures. The next year-that is 1SS5-the
contractors, knowing that the pur-
chases in 1884 were so large that no
more would be needed for some time,
put in their bid at nominal figures, and
the department bought no scales The
division chief who stocked up the de-
partment for two or three years ahead
with balances ut high figures is not
now in Office. For salaries the appro-
priation for 1884 was a little larger
than for 1885. But in 1884 the unex-
pended balance for salaries was
$1,000, and for 1885 it was 5000.
Although, rs shown above, the misrel-
laneous expenses of the department
for 1886 were $4,000 less than in
1885, the expenditures of 1856 covered
number of items, aggrcgating nearly
$1,000. mainly connected with the
leasing of building for the sixth aud
itors clerks, that were not included
in the expenditures for 1885.
The expenditures of the POst-office
Department not regulated by law
that is, discretionary with the Post
but exclusive of the
of mails-have for twen-
ty years been used up with the excep-
ton of an average annual unexpended
balance of 1.6 per cent. In 1886 the I'M
balance was 6.S per cent.
For twenty years the average annual
increase of these expenses has been
5.5 per cent; last year the increase
was only IL per cent. Since the new
Administration came in the net reduc-
ton of star-route service has been at
the rate of S3l6,973 year; of steam
boat service, $780, and of mail
service, S45. 591- "a total net
decrease at the rate of S501. 7S5 per an
mum. On payment for railroad sery-
Ice there has been cut off S12,9 as
needless, S6S, 905 of compensation to
Immigrant roads which were previously
not classified as such, $50. 161 disallow-
anceS of pay for department car service
hitherto allowed but not authorized by
law, and $1,000 of postal-car service
as unnecessary-a total
saving on railway transportation at
the rate of $172,517. For purposes of
for star-route and steam
boat transpOrtion the United States is
divided into four sections. Contracts
for four years in the fourth section, in
Guiding States and Territories west of
the Mississippi and the Missouri. were
let at the rate of S239,0O0 a year less
than the previous contracts. The
original estimates for postal service for
1886 were S56,000,000. and the appro-
priationS were S54,000,0O
The Postmaster-Genera estimate
last fall for the then current year was
s53, 900, 600. The actual expenditure.
rs indicated by the auditors reports
Tor three-fOurths OF the year, will come
inside of S51, 100000 The revenue
will be S44, 900, 900, so the deficit will
come inside of S7.000.000, instead of
reaching S9,0O0,00O, and this in spite
IF a loss of over $1,000, 900 by reducing
postage onc-half and some
reduction of revenue by increasing the
mt of weight on letters from onc-half !