Important Facts
The maximum annual receipts of the postal department, previous to the rebellion, from all the States was $8,518,067.40, which was exceeded in the sum of $6,038,091.30 by the receipts of the last year from the loyal States alone. The revenues during the past four years amounted to $46,458,022.97, an average of $11,614,505.74 per annum. Compared with the receipts of the four years immediately preceding, which amounted to $32,322,640.73, the annual average increase of revenue was $3,533,845.56, which has not resulted from any considerable additions to the service, the ratio of receipts to expenditures having been larger than, with few exceptions, at any previous period. A proper regard to economy in administration, aided by larger contributions from all the States of the Union, will enable the department to increase its usefulness from year to year in all its legitimate functions. But it must not be overlooked that the ability to fully perform its mission as the postal agent of the Government is greatly impaired by the burdens imposed by the franking privilege and expensive service upon routes established for other than postal purposes, the receipts from which are largely unremunerative. However much the establishment of these routes is to be commended for national objects, in which regard they command the approval of the country, it is not possible to see upon what principle they are wholly chargeable to the postal fund, which belongs to those by whom it has been contributed, and is pledged to meet the wants of the postal service.
The subjoined table illustrates the misapplication of the postal funds:—
| Routes. | Pay. | Receipts. | Excess of pay. | |
| Salt Lake City to Folsom | $385,000 | } | $23,934 44 | $726,065 56 |
| Atchison to Salt Lake | 365,000 | |||
| Kansas City to Santa Fé | 35,743 | 6,536 57 | 29,206 43 | |
| Lincoln to Portland | 225,000 | 24,791 67 | 200,208 33 | |
| The Dalles to Salt Lake | 186,000 | 5,660 77 | 180,339 23 | |
| Total | 1,196,743 | 60,923 45 | 1,135,819 55 |