Year: 1876

The advance that nation is making in
civilization can be fairly gagged by the amount
of its postaI business. While the franking
privilege was III operation, no such comparl-
son could be accurately made in this country,
since the exgencies of political campaign
might in any year load the mails with an IN
creased number of packages and add heavily
to the expenditure but not at all to the revenue
Under the present system, when the Postmas-
ter-General reports that the annual deficit
of his department is largely reduced, two
facts are indicated: that the postal business
has been economically managed, and that the
people have sent an increased number OF
letters and newspapers through the mails
Both these conditions are shown in this years
report: two million dollars-a third OF the
whole deficiency of the previous twelyemonth
were saved last year. Part of q is great I'M
movement is due to the admirable system and
business-ike management that have character-
lied the Post-Oiiice part to the remarkable and
unexpected increase of thcam OF mail matter
in the past year. The first of these features bears
n direct relation to the second it is in great
measure because the postal facilities have been
improved, and people can send and receive
letters and papers with more certainty and
frequency, that they use the mails more. Part
of the increase of mail matter may also be
ascribed to the more frequent occasion for let
ter-writing indirectly produced by the Cen
tennial Exhibition, since the crowds that went
to Philadelphia kept up an unusual correspond
ence with their friends, before, ut, and after
each visit they read more newspapers and
generally obtained more enlarged IDEAS A
good portion of this improvement measured
by the increase of correspondence, will doubt
less be found permanent. Steps of that sort
never lead backward.


This result is the more remarkable because
the year past has been one of depression i'll
all branches of business The hard times did
indeed show their effect on one branch of post
Office work; the total amounts sent by money
orders had been increasing each year from the
beginning of the system till June 30, 1873;
since then the annual amount has decreased a


little. The Postmaster General thinks that this
decrease is not connected with the heavier
charge that is now made for money
orders Although the money order sys-
TEN does not yet pay its way, the increase
of its fees brings it more nearly to that de-
sirabe point. Another years experience will
settle the question whether high fees diminish
the amounts and number of money orders; If
that proves to be the case, return to the
old rates would seem advisable. The use of
money orders should not be discouraged, even
though they are issued at loss


The report urges better method of fixing
salaries of postmasters at fourth-class offices.
The reasons for this proposed change are very
plainly given. TO sum them up in a few
words, the department does not wish to ex-
pose its employees to undue temptation. In
this matter, as in other respects, the report
shows the spirit in which the Post-Ofilce is
conducted. No department exhibits more evil
dence and fruit of genuine civil service reform.