Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1875 — Abstract of the Postmaster-General's Report. [ARTICLE]

Abstract of the Postmaster-General's Report.

Th* Po*tmn*tef-Qenerar* annutl report show* tbe receipt* of the department to be $27.441.880 •Bd expenditure* $88,611,809. The receipts exceed 1 rboee of litre 1 14-HO per cent., end the expenditure* 4 M-KB. The actual amount drawn from the , Trooznry was *4.71# sat. or $543,606 lean than the jaevtonsiyear. The recorded coniplninta of Kissing letter* number 5.645, of which 2.6.7 were registered letter* containing bond*, dra.t*. etc., amounting to S7B *l6, the unrert'iemi letter* contained valuables amounting to S7S.!WT. Of the former l .<lB3 were mtisfsctonlv accounted for, 911 actually hist., and 683 remain under Investigation. Arrest* ft* violation ot the Postal law* numbered 807. the greater portion not being connected with the (Metal service. One hundred and seven convictions were had and 157 await trial. The dubujrttm'it is in correspondence with the British itc jsreiet.t on the subject of the iii/nase of t'nilr.lStales territorial rate on British closed mail* trs.o| sjrledbetween New York and San Frau«i*co. the present rates, fixed by the Postal Convention 01 1868, uot paying the actual cost of transportation. The report show* the operation* of the various bureaus of the department, concerning which •wnch information has already been published. The Hone*-Order, fit-part meet, the annual transactions of which hare reached shout $80,000,000. -shows an .fpparart protit of sl*o.ooo. though really an arrears more than that if the clerk-hire and stationery required tor tne business were rtiarged directly’Jo r.s account. The increase of rales on email orders mdH*, by authority of the last Congress will, it is believed, enable the bureau -to hereafter pay it* own exp. uses. . "Hi* fact that but one American steamship carries mails across the Atlantic, and none to South America, is regarded «s humiliating to American pride, Mr. Jewell thinks as a matter of national pride, a* sn aid to the revival of American commerce. and a* a mean* of supplying * n efficient •team marine service for immediate use bv the Government in case of war. provision should be made for tie transportation of our mails on important ocean route* in steamships officered and manur'd by our own citizens and sailing under our awn flan. A moderate compensation in excess of t-hwpostage* now allowed would enable the establishment and maintenance of American lines to Knrojie al.o South America, and a moderate mail compel!-at.on fora line to Japan and China will doubt!« s <on mine the maihservice to those couutfieaHi American 'hip* after the termination of the existing subsidy, the contract for which will expire on the 81st of December, 1876. I thick it safe to say 1 ' that the sum ■pf ssOi>,ooo per annum now granted as » subsidy to the Japan and China line for n single monthly service on that rout* would, in addition to postages on mails, be quitesuffleient, judiciously apportioned between the respective routes, to i«anit*in ac efltciei'.i mall service by mall steamers (.ailing tuidw our flag on all the importantocean routes w hich should be occupied by lines qf H American steamers. Mr. Jewell says the evil of straw-bidding, which •annuity involves the department in the losa’of many hundreds of thousands of dollars, can, in his jnSumrttt. I>B effect noli jr removed by such a change in the, law a- will authorize the Postmaster General. on the failure oV any accepted bidder, to offer a contract at present to the next lower bidder in the list. if. in his judgment, the hid be not too high. and. if ?i:> next lowest bidder declines to enter into s coritraU. to be authorized to enter inr<> a contract w ith any person not a bidder at any price hot exceeding said next lowest bid. The hostmuste:■•General speaks ot the railway postal *eivice and roads doing it in high terms, tin! thinks I; would be more equitable to pay companies by space instead of weight. This would increase the compensation of the roads of tlie larger class, but "redm e it materially on many smaller sudw.c.’inr or.v*. The fast-mail service t* praised, ngd the opinion expressed that at no distant day tht’.bUsine** ot tin- dejuirtment vill be so great as Jo induce : .:!rb*ul companies to tun similar train* from New Krtglaud to the gulf, and froiti the Atlantic to the I'ac.if.c. It is recommended that any person be permitted without ai.digoDi.l charge to write a form of presentation in any hook, pamphlet, magazine, periodical or any other matter of the third class, and also that the sender of any package he permitted without additional. harge to write his or her name and address on th- outside thereof, with the word from" aw.-* • or preceding the same, so as to Inform ail.iresred...df the name of the sender, it: v : o write briefly.Op any package the mtmbiTui. " r me of article* inclosed. The sending Of r"'. • tlocnmeiit* through the mails has not delay**',’ ,e .i, iiwry of ordinary mails or perceptibly inc -eu tlic'.. - ost. As to tee t'viti'icut printed matter, the Post masterG.hey.il says: “I recommend that the postage tratPti-nt newspapers and periodicals, book*, prti t.-l titatter of all sorts, lithograph* and n.ap*. sh->"-.Ku*ir, photograuhs and manuscripts dcsigtir i f.,r , c.ii .cation slum he reduced to one cent f,> <- i..j two ounces or fraction tliereo . .which. w o lie rate before the enactment of the law • .mHtjpduring the closing hours of the ' C.ui.re**."v CtSucerniug newspaper postage. - -ay- -!h; new law. which went into effect on • of January. 1575. from present indication. ... realize about $1,001),Odd for the first caltnd: year. This is not a material variation from rite average results of the old law. ihoag’i < , ,g the l*-t year in which this latter was In o i ration the amount was increased by the payment of postage on newspaper* circulating within the connty of publication, a requirement that was discontinued at the end of one vear White, therefore, there has been no increase in the aggregate receipts, there has been a large tret gain oy saving commission* on collection? allowed by the old law as under the present law. The gre.i- bulk of postage is paid at large offices w ho.*e salaries are not affected by this item. Under the oid law there was no check to insure collections at the office of Ue*tiuation?aud the consequence was much matter went unpaid, and it is a satisfaction that under the present more equitably mode universal collections have made up for the reductions in rate*. The new system has worked so admirably, and ha# given such general satisfaction. th#s.EO change it deemed necessary. It is recommended that the pay of Postmasters of [the fourth clips, lie ba.~ed,upon the business of toeir i -pe tive offices, as determined by the cancellation of stamps, the account to be duly sworn to for each quarter, and returned to the Sixth Auditor." There is great waut of equity in the compensation of Postmasters of the first,, second, and thud classes. If the salaries at smaller office* are not ev. t-'-iew. those of the larger cities are certainly too mw. I find Postmasters as a class to be efficient, capable and attentive bevoud my expecta- - tiocs. and theiv - ..roes should be proportionate «' their duties. Cases are (aid to exist, however, where few or no duties are actnally performed by the Postmaster. A law compelling Postmasters whose net income is. say. SI,OOO or more to give entire attention to the duties of their offices, or. failing in this to employ some person or persons to perform them at their own and not at the Government's expense, would be, most undoubtedly, beneficial to the service.” In estimating the expected revenues for the rear ending June So, 1877. »nd wishing to be on the safe •ide, the estimates have been submitted which show an expected deScienry of $8,151.602. but it is believed thut the deficiency lor that year will be wry much less than the estimates. Basing the estimates of the revenues at the smallest amount, and of the expenditures at the largest, an increase is shown in the percentage of deficiency only of 19 39-109. against 24 65-100. which wa* the estimate of the percentage of the deficiency last year over, that of its predecessor.