Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1872 — Report of the Postmaster-General. [ARTICLE]

Report of the Postmaster-General.

Sih: The ordinary revenues of this Department for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1872, including revenue from money-order business, were $21,915,42(1.87, and the expendllurcs of all kinds $26,658,192.81. For the year ended Jnne 80, 1871, the or--dinzrjt revenue* were $20,031,045.42, .sal the expenditures $24,390,104.08. The Increase or revenue for the year 1872 ever the year 1871 wai $1,878,880.96, or 9.37 per cent , and the increase of expenditures $2,268,088.28, or 9 29 per cent., showing a net increase of expenditures of $389,707.28. The increase in revenue for the year 1872 overlß7o was $3,036,048.72, or 10.08 per cent ~ and the increase of expenditures for 1872 over 1870 was $8,309,354.68, or 14.17 per cent. The increase In revenue for 1872; compared with 187!, was greater than the Increase for 1871, compared with 1870.hy $720,7i8.18; and the Increase of expenditures for 1872, compared with 1871, was greater than the Increase for 1871, compared with 1870, by $ i ,2 ’6,821.78. If, in addition to the ordinary revenues, the Department be credited with $700,000 appropriated for the transportation of free matter, and the amounts drawn and expended for the subsidies to steamship lilies, it will appear that the deficiency provided out of the general Treasury for the year 1872 is $3,217,765.91. agairnt $2,928,058.66 for the year 1871. The accompanying report of the. Auditor fully sets forth the details of the financial operations of the Department: The estimated expenditures fer the year ending June 30, 1874, are $30,863,167 The revenues, estimated nt 10' per cent, increase over last year $23,619,231 Estimated revenue from money order business... 100,000 Estimated Increase in revenue consequent on the introduction of postal earde 833,334 Leaving a deficiency 0f................ $6,810,602 The foregoing estimates do not inclnde the following special appropriations in the nature of subsidies: For mail steamship service between San Francisco and Japan and China . ...... $500,000 00 For special subsidy for like service, under sections 3 and 6of the act approved June 1, 1872, from October 1, 187.3, to June 30, 1874....... 375;C00 00 For mall steamship service between the United states and Brazil. 150,000 00 For like service between San Francisco and the Sdhdwlch Islands... 75,000 00 Total $1,100,000 00 Of the deficiency approprintedfor the year 1870, there was unexpended June .30,1871, the sum of $3,690,000 00 Of the amount appropriated for 1871, There was unexpended at the close of that year 3,035,032 00 Amount appropriated for the year 1872 .3,969,383 00 A total of $10,091,415 00 There was drawn during the last fiscal year, of the amount nnexpended at the close of the . —-7; year 1870, for payments on account of thatyehr $68,364 00 Of the amount appropriated for the year 1871, for payments on ac-': < count of that year 416,636 00 Of the amounts appropriated for the year 1872.. 3,083,750 00 Leaving amount of deficiency appropriations undrawn $7,125,663 00 Therc was also carricd to tke_ ffsurplus fund” of the'general Treasury, of the deficiency appropriated for 1870, and not needed 2,621,636 00 Leaving in the general Treasury, undrawn, the sum of $4,504,029 00 There was also in the hands of the Assistant Treasurers of the United . States a balance 0f... .7;,. ........ -250,984 06 Making the total amount available for the payment of indebtedness to June 30, 1872 $4,755,013 06 Against which there arc chargeable sundry unliquidated accounts, estimated as follows: For balances to foreign countries. $197,400 00 For mail service under contract and recognized, but not yet reported.... 411,635 13 ' .Mail servicestilfnnrecog- ; ‘ uized ...., 185,705 00 Leaving, after settlement of all liabilities to Jnne 30,1872, a net balance of deficiency appropriations of $3,960,272 91 The number of adhesive postage stamps issued during the year was 511,455,070, representing $15,840,619 00 Stamped-envelopes, plain, 58,276,500, representing .. 1,063,196 fO Stamped envelopes. “ request,” 40,825,000, representing 1,391,630 00 Newspaper-wrappers, 8,824,250, representing. ...- . 175,152 50 The whole -number of - stamps. , stamped envelopes, and newspaper- 7 wrappers was 655,380,820, of the aggregate value of $19,070,62800 There were in the service Of the Department on the 30th of June, 1872, 5,544 contractors for the transportation of the mails on public routes. The serviceiwns divided as follows; Railroad routes: Length, 57,911 miles; annual transportation, 62,401,749 miles; annual cost, $6,502,771—ab0ut 10.40 cents per mile. Steamboat routes: Length, 18/60 miles; annual transportation, 4,3c8,436 miles; annual cost, $779,865—about 18.10 cents per mile. Other routes, on which the mails are required to be conveyed with “ celerity; certainty! and security:” Length, 174,627 miles; annual transportation, 48,184.137 miles; annual "cost, $5,289,628—ab0ut 11 cents per. mile. The railroad rontes have been increased in length 8,077 miles, and in cost, $777,792. The total number of new hiail-bags procured and putin service was 77,670, of which 65,212 were used for transmission of printed matter, and 12,458 for lettermails. The cost was $99,020.61. TIIHOVGH MAILS. The transmission of through mails between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts was greatly interrupted by snow-blockades west of Omah duriDg portions of the months of December, January, February, and March last. The number of days on whiehno mails were received- at San Francisco from New York was, in December, 19;’in January, 21; in February, 25; and in March, 10. Omy 11 mails out of £4 from New York were carried thronfih to San Francisco in schedule time In December, only .3 out of 69 in January, none ont of 82 in February, and only 41 out of 71 in March. MAIL DEPREDATIONS. The number of complaints of missing letters during the year was 4,898, of which 2,305 were registered and 2,593 unregistered, containing bonds, drafts, and currency to the nominal amount of $236,479.81. Of registered letters, 8,39 were accounted for. and only 172 have been reported as actually lost. The remaining cases are in the hands of special agents for investigation. JFor violation of Ihe postal laws. 196 persons have been arrested, of whom 69 have been convicted and sentenced to different degrees of punishment, and of the remainder some have been discharged and others are awaiting trial. railway tost-offices. Since the 30th of Jnne, 1871. this branch of the service has been largely extended. Eight new lines have been established, with an aggregate length of 2,909 miles. The daily service has been increased 6,094 miles, and the annual service 2,224,310 miles, making ntccssary the appointment of 1.36 additional postal clerks, of various grades, at an annual cost of $172,200. FOREIGN MAILS. The total number of letters exchanged, during the year, w ith foreign countries, was 24,362,500. an increase of 4,966,502 over the number reported for 1871. Of this number, 12,774,064 were sent from, and 11,588,436 were received in, the United States. The number,ofletters (single-rate) exchanged in the United States and European mails was 17,682,999. an increase of 3,569,439 over the number reported for 1871. The total postages on the letters exchanged with foreign countries amounted to $1,871,267.25, an increase of $133,990.93 over the athmifit repotfe'tf fdr 1871. Comparing the year 1872 with the year 1871, the rate of increase in the total number of letters exchanged with foreign countries was 20 per cent., and the-rate of increase in the amount of postages thereon was 7 5-6 per cent. The increase in the number of letters exchanged with European countries was 25.3 per cent., and the increase of postages thereon amounted to 10.4 per cent. The total coet of the United States ocean mail steamship service -lot the year 1872 (including $725,000 paid - from special appropriations for steamship service to Japan and China, to Brazil, and to the Hawaiian Islands! was $1,027,020.97. The free-delivery system has been in operation during the year in fifty-two of the principal cities, with the following aggregate results: Number of letter-earners 1,443 Mail letters delivered 127,098,828 Local letters delivered '.. .T 33,003,880 Newspapers delivered .-. 36,627,368 Letters collected. 115,117,4121 Amount paid carriers, including incidental expenses $1,585,9->6.76 Postage on local matter $907,351.93 Officers and agents: 1871. i . 1872. 30,845 postmasters 31,863 7,286 contractors ; ». 5.544 3,439 clerks in post-offices .. . 3,754 1,419 letter-carriers 1,442 684 route-agents ......... 764 613 rjjl way postal clerks- . . . 642 163 mail-route messengers. ..'.'J..: 146 83 local agents ...frU 95 52 special agents ; .-** 1 59 43,934 Total in service. 44,655 RE-ADJUSTMENT OF POSTMASTERS’ SALARIES'. The second section of the act of July 1, 1864, directs the Postmaster-General to review and readjust the salaries of all postmasters once in two years, and in special cases as much oftener as may ne deemed expedient. In accordance therewith, the salsriea of -3K863 postmasters have been reviewed nud readjusted for two years from Jnly 1, 1972. The salaries ad thus re-adjusted make a yearly aggregate bf $5,620,045. The establishment of new offices and the re-adjustment ia special

casea will increase the amount somewhat daring the current fiscal year; and, as only $5,525,000 Was appropriated for this-pnrposc for the year ending June 30. 1873, an additional sum will be asked for tomeetthedeficiency. , DEAD-LETTERS. The number of letters, domestic and foreign, received at ihe dead-letter ofllcc during the last year, waa at follows: DomCStlclettcrs classed as ---" “i ~7 Ordinary ; 2,926,01 * Drop, ...: 642,804 Unmailable 379,824 Hotel :; 24,405 Fictitious 35,095 (Registered 5,152 Returned from foreign countries 83,422 Total domestic letters i, . 3,996,714 Foreign letters 244,660 Whole number 4,241,374 TOSTAL MONEY ORDER SYSTEM. The nnmberof money-order post-offices in operation during the last year was 2,452. On the 15th of July, 1872, 324 additional offices were cstab lished and one was discontinued, so that the whole number is now 2,775. The number of domestic money-or-ders issued during the year was 2,573,349; of which the aggregate value was ..... $48,615,532 72 The total number of such orders paid was 2,508,350, amounting in value to ; $48,042,405 88 To which is to be added the amount of orders - repaid to the remitters 377,239 09 Total payments. 48,419,644 97 Excess of issnes over payments $95,887 75 The amount of fees or commissions received from the public by postmasters for the issue of money-orders was $.350,285.60. These transactions exhibit an increase over 1871 of $6,351,414.69, or about 15 per cent., in the amount of orders issued; of $6,392,308.66, or about 15 1-5 per cent., in the amount of orders paid; and of $54,999.51, or 18J4 per cent.; in the amount of fees received. ■■LS-ba The average amount of the money-orders issued daring the last year was $18.85, being 65 cents less than the average or the preceding year. There were 4,8ti2, or almost 55 per cent., more duplicates issued last year than during the previous year. A considerable portion of this large increase is to be attributed to the destruction or defacement of money-orders by the great fire at Chicago. MISCELLANEOUS—FRANKINQ PRIVILEGE. In my three previous reports, 1 have urgently recommended the immediate and unconditional repeal of the franking privilege. The experience of the past year has strengthened rty conviction that its abolitioa absolutely necessary to an efficient, economical, and vigorous administration of our postal system • By reference to a Special report made to Congress on the 12th of January, 1871, it will appear that the actual cost of free matter, if charged with the regular rates of postage, was then $2,543,327.72 annually. During the late Presidential canvass, the quantity of such matter was largely increased, and X think it safe, to say that the free matter carried during the past year, if taxed at ordinary rates, would have yielded a revenue of three and a half millions of dollars, a sum larger than the entire deficiency of the year. In addition to the heavy loss of revenue thns indicated, great inconvenience was experienced from derangements asd delays in the regular and prompt transmission of fhc mails caused by the immense amount of free matter thrown suddenly, and without notice or system, upon the postal routes of the country. POSTAL TELEGRAPH. The P. M. General continues by a warm and lengthy advocacy of the Government taking into its own hands the telegraph sendee as a measure of lmpoTtauce to the people, to the -weather signal service, and to the Government itself. He condemns the so-called Postal Telegraph Company, which pr- posed to operate lines in connection with the Department, and favors the entire control and operation of snch a service by the Department While, as 1 have stated, I believe that improved means of transmission will eventually render the telegraph a formidable rival of the mail, which it caniiot lie without large reductions in tariff, I am convinced hy experience that these improvements will be adopted teo slowly to meet the necessities of the people, and that, whatever the rates may be, the wires will he practically controlled by one corporation so long as they remain in private hands. The gradual reduction in rates, if ever made, will, therefore, be more than counterbalanced by the growth of the evils attending the management of the telegraphs hy private monopoly.

Among these evils may be classed the possible abuse of the wires for personal ends by business men controlling them; the enormous and dangerous extent of the free-message business; the discrimination between the messages of different customers, both sb to rates and order of transmission; and the vast and irresponsible influence of tele-' graphic managers over the press of the country. SALARIES. The salaries of the heads of bureaus of this Department should he largely increased. The three Assistant Posunasters-General receive only $3,500 each per annum, and the superintendent of foreign mails and the money-order system each $ >,OOO per annum. These sums are inadquate to maintain their families comfortably in Washington,, their presence being required here during the entire year. The ability, integrity, and laborious services of these officers appeal strongly in their behalf. With the highest esteem, I remain your obedient semnt, ——tv ——^ ; —~ ;i '. u ■ ' JNO. A. J. CRESSWELL, Postmaster-General. —Cabbage. Soup.—Take a large cabbage, three carrots, two onions, live slices lean bacon, salt and pepper to taste, two quarts of medium stock. Scald the cabbage, cut it up, and drain it. Line the stew-pan with the bacon, put in the' eabbage, carrots and onions. Moisten with skimmings from the stock. Simmer very gently, till the cabbage is tender. Add the stock, stew softly for half an hour, and carefully skim ofl every particle of fat. Season and serve.' It takes one hour and a half to cook. This ia a splendid soup for cool weather, and this quantity is sufficient for eight persons.— Mrs. Beeton's Everyday Cdokerv. Oor Imprudence the Cause of Consumption.—How many of us can date the cause of our last sickness to either a crowded room, and then coming out in a cold air, or wearing damp clothes, causing a cough which settles upon the lungs, producing seated pains in the che3t. Allen’s Lung Balsam will check the disease and restore health to the system, if only used in time. Remember and call at the drug store for Allen’s Lung Balsam. Every family should kpep it at hand. AN Act of Justice —Doubting Castle was a sad stumbling block in the path of Bunyan’s Christian, though it couldn’t bar his way to Truth. We can sympathize with the Pilgrim, for Doubt always besets us when we are asked to beleive anything particularly extraordinary. Consequently, when we heard, some eighteen months ago, .that a physician in California had compounded, from the juices and extracts of certain herbs found there, a medicine that cured almost every variety of blood disease, we were incredulous. Since then we have had opportunities of testing the accuracy of the report, and are free to admit that our doubts have vanished.,, Seeing what we have seen, knowing what we know, it is impossible for us to question the remedial properties of Dr. Walker’s Vinegar Bitters. That this famous vegetable Tonic, Alterative, and Antiseptic is a specific for Dyspepsia, Liver Complaint, Chronic: C9.n?Jsfi.atio.n.,. Fpvgr and Ague, Bilious Intermittents, Scrofulous Taint in the Blood, Incipient Constipation, Local and General Debility, Rheumatism, Sick Headache, and Diseases of the Kidneys, seems to be a matter beyond the pale of controversy— a fixed fact in medical history. The statements of friends, in whose veracity and intelligencewe have full confidence, corroborated by our own personal observation, compel us to admit the surpassing merits of the preparation.