Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 December 1881 — THE NATIONAL POSTOFFICE. [ARTICLE]

THE NATIONAL POSTOFFICE.

Synopsis of Mr. Janie*’ Yearly Report. Postmaster General James’ report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1881, opens with the general financial statement, by which it appears that the total expenditures made on account of service for the fiscal year were $39,251,736.46. The revenues were $36,785,397.97, made up of ordinary receipts, $36,489,816.59, and from the money-order business, $295,681.39. The total excess of expenditures over receipts on account of tho firoal year was $2,481,129.35, of which $14,790.86 appears on the books of the Auditor for “ bad debts” and “compromise accounts.” In addition to the expenditures above stated, the sum of $340,829.76 was paid on account of indebtedness incurred in previous years, making tho total amount expended daring the year $39,529,566.22. The item of compensation to Postmasters was the only one in which the expenditure exceodod the appropriation, the latter amounting to $7,500,000, and the former to $8,298,742.79. In the remaining items there was a total unexpended balanoe of the appropriations of $761,907.73. Tho total amount of appropriations was $39,204.901.40, leaving an excess of expenditures of $16,835.06, growing out of the excess of compensat on to Postmasters. The receipts for the year were $3,469,918.63, or 10.4 per cent., more than those of the preceding year, and $4,575,397.97, or 14.2 per cent., more than the estimate which was made two years ago, before the present period of business prosperity had fairly begun, to whioh the increase is in a large degreo attributable. The estimated expenditure for the current fiscal year is $43,661,800; the estimated ordinary revenue is $42,561,722.05, and money-order business SIBO,OOO, making a total estimated revenue of $42,741,722.05, leaving an estimated deficit of $920,077.95 to be appropriated out of the treasury. The decrease in the estimated amount of money-order receipts is owing to a contemplated reduction of the fees on money orders for small amounts. The total income from tho sale of postage stamps, stamped envelopes and postal cards for the fiscal year was $34,625,435.01, against $32,085,342.46* in the proceeding year, an increase of 7.9 per cent - The total amount of postage collected daring the year on newspapers and periodicals mailed to regular subscribers from known offices of publication, and from nows agencies, at 2 cents per pound, was $1,399,('48.64, an increase of $172,598.05, or ft liitle over 14 per cent By careful reckoning based upon an actual count made in every postoffice in tho United Stales during the first week in December, 1880, it has been ascertained that the whole number of letters mailed in this country in the iast fiscal year was 1,046,107,348. The number reaching the Dead-Letter Office during the same period was 8,323,621, or one in every 315. Of the letters and packages opened, 18,617 were found to contain money amounting to $40,587.80; 22,012 contained drafts, money orders, checks, notes, etc., the aggregate face value of which was $1,899,062.61. The records of the department show that 8,338,918 registered letters and packages were mailed in this country during the year. Of this number, only 2,614 reached the Dead-Letter Office, and of these 2,131 were finally delivered to the ownors, the balance being placed on file awaiting identification by the parties interested. « The amount of unclaimed money-orders, domestic and foreign, at the close of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1881, is estimated by the Auditor as $1,250,000. A postal order for sums less than $5, for 3 cents, is under consideration.

The Postmaster General recommends postal savings depositories as worthy the consideration of Congress,^ Iu regard lo'Tniand transportation, the report states that ou Juno 30, 1831, there were 6,156 contractors for transportation of mails on inland routes. There were in operation 11,592 routes (of which 1,194 were railroad routes, showing an increaso of seventy-six routes of this class since the last animal report), aggregating in length 344,006 miles, and in annual cost, $19,323,893. The service was divided as follows : Railroad routes ; Leng'.li, 91,569 miles ; annual transportation, 103,521,229 miles ; annual cost, $11,613,368 (including $1,364,107 for railwav-postoffice-car service), about 11.22 cents per mile. Steamboat routes : Length. 21,138 miles; annual transportation, 5,046,507 miles; annual cost, $753,167, about 14.92 cents per mile. “ Star ’’ routes, on which the mails are required to bo conveyed “ with celerity, certainty aud security Length. 231,299 miles ; annual transportation, 79,557,296 miles ; annual cost, $5,957,355, about 8.74 ceuts per mile. There are 6,014 offices supplied by mail messengers, at an annual cost ot $763,341. The railroad routes wi re increased in length 6,240 miles, and in cost $1,114,382.

The steamboat routes were decreased in length 2,182 miles, and in cost $134,064. The “star” routes were decreased in length 3,910 miles, and in cost $364,144. The report then says that the founders of our postal system intended that it should be self-supporting, and proceeds to give a history of its growth and the gradual reduction in postage and the annual deficiency. According to tho report of" Ike Second Assistant Postmaster General, which he quotes, the total reductions during the lost fiscal .year in the star service was $665,832 per annum, but some of the orders did not take effect until the beginning of the present fiscal year. The net reduction, allowing for new and increased service, was $364,144. The aggregate reduction of tho cost of steamboat service was $282,009, from which is to be deducted the cost of increased service, $30,653, making the net reduction $651,356. Thus far in the current fiscal year reductions amounting to $701,651 have been mode in the star service. The net reductions from July 1 to Oct. 81, in the star and steamboat servioe, are $532,257. In leaving the consideration of tho star routes the Postmaster General says a minute investigation into alleged abuses in the star-route service was instituted by direction of the late President, and is still being prosecuted. The Postoffico Department has co-operated and will continue to co-operate with the Department of Justice in this investigation. No one who has not been directly concerned in the matter can fully appreciate the magnitude of the undertaking, the mass of record evidence examined, the difficulties of a personal investigation in sparsely-settled territories and the results attained by the patient and intelligent labors of the inspectors of this department There can be no doubt, from the facts already ascertained, that the existing statutes leave the way open to great abuses, and that there is abundant ground for asking a judicial investigation of the transactions of the last few years. The report then turns to the question of a reduction in the rates of postage, and says if the lecommendations for a decrease in the cost of railway service be successfully carried out the reduction of letter postage from 3 to 2 cents will be possible within three years. It believes this reduction could be accomplished without the proportionate diminution of receipts which followed the adoption of 8-cent postage in 1851. There were 2,915 new postoffices established during the year, and an eonal number of new Postmasters. The total number of employes in the department Jnne 30, 1881, was 61,444, against 60,530 June 30, 1880. Tho report urges the extension of the freedelivery system and collection system, as it has been found that the convenience of delivery and deposit acts as an incentive to letterwriting. There was an increase during the year of 84.000,900 in the number of letters and other articles of mail matter delivered and collected bv carriers. Attention is invited to tho fact that, of the 4,636 complaints of registered letters and packages as lost, rifled, tampered with and detained, 2,575 were recovered or satisfactorily accounted for, lea\ing only 2,061 still under investigation, or finally closed as lost, including losses by fire, highway robberies and other thefts. By comparing this number, 2,061, with the entire number of letters and packets registered during tho year, namely, 8,300,000. the certainty ai d security of tho registered mail is clearly demonstrated. Thero wero 16,662 ordinary letters reported lost, of which 12,108 were letters with valuable inclosures, and 4,454 contents not specified. Of this number 1,737 were reported as being delivered. Three hundred and twenty-three robberies of postoffices wero reported during the year, and ninety-two offices were burned. Bobberies of mail stages on the highways numbered eighty-six. One hundred and thirty-five oomplaints of depredations were made by Postmasters, of which nineteen were found to have been groundless. Eleven mails were reported as burned in mail cars, in railroad accidents or in postoffices, and sixty-five were reported as lost by carriers, by floods, snow blockades or from other causes. In concluding his report Postmaster General Junes has a word to say in favor of oivil-ser-

vie* reform. He i# convinced of the great public benefit to be derived from conducting the public brininess on business principles. The public is best served by honest, experienced and competent officers, and changes, therefore, should be made carefully and only for reasons affecting official conduct