York a reduction was made of 10 hours and 38 minutes, the previous time having been 36 hours and the new time being 25 hours and 22 minutes. The present time is 15 hours and 50 minutes from New York to Montreal, and in the opposite direction it is 20 hours and 15 minutes. Between New York and Montreal the present time is therefore 9 hours less than the original time under the new system, and 42 hours and 35 minutes less than the time prior thereto. The present time between Montreal and New York is 5 hours and 7 minutes less than the time originally required by the new system, and 15 hours and 45 minutes less than the time prior thereto. In view of the success of the system of international through-pouch exchanges across our northern border, I would respectfully recommend that the necessary steps be taken looking to its extension to exchanges, under similar conditions, with Mexico and Cuba. GENERAL FEATURES AND STATISTICS OF REGISTRATION. Great strides have been made within the past few years in the regis try system, which has now become one of the great arms of the postal service. It is founded upon the idea of individual responsibility upon the part of postmasters and postal employés, a chain of receipts accompanying registered matter from the moment of its original dispatch until the time of its final delivery. The sender is given a receipt by the mailing office, and is furnished with one from the addressee. The best reasons exist for carefully fostering the system. Not only does it afford a great convenience to the public for the transmission of valuable matter through the mails, but it is an important contributor to the postal revenue, the fees charged more than compensating for the expense of registration. Besides the registry fees, just how much is gained in the way of postages on matter that would otherwise be sent by private express must of course be left to speculation. For instance, a single registered parcel mailed in Philadelphia in September, 1879, contained, besides the registry fee, $127.90 in stamps to prepay the postage at letter rates. Unceasing efforts have been made to improve and simplify the methods, and to add to the security of the system. In its present state it scarcely retains a vestige of the plan upon which it was originally founded. Among the comparatively recent changes, in addition to those already noted, are the development of the through-pouch system (introduced in a limited way in 1875); the establishment of the brasslock system on star routes; the abolition of distributing offices by substituting direct dispatches; the combination into one of the registered letter bill and the return registered letter bill, and of two separate records for the receipt and delivery of matter; the adoption of a combined tag and envelope to be attached to parcels in transit, and containing a pocket for inclosing the bill and receipt; and the adoption of a card form of the registered bill and the return registry receipt for letters, also a card form of registered package receipt, which led to the use of similar forms for various purposes in all the Departments of the Government. The registry system was first introduced in 1855, the receipts for the first year amounting to $31,465.50, and its abandonment was some years subsequently strongly urged because of its insecurity and the decline in its patronage. For the year ended June 30, 1877, the receipts amounted to $367,438.80, while for the last fiscal year they amountedto $928,898.40, an increase of $561,459.60, or 152.8 per cent,, and an average annual increase of 12.5 per cent. The average annual increase from 1877 to 1883 was 15.9 per cent. The increase for 1883 over 1882 was 18.04 per cent.; for 1884 over 1883 it was only 3.3 per cent.; and there was a decrease of 2.9 per cent. for 1885 as compared to 1884. The figures will be given hereafter in detail of the several classes of regis tered matter. A most noticeable innovation was the extension of the system on the 1st October, 1878, to third and fourth class matter, it having previously been confined exclusively to matter chargeable at letter rates of postage. Besides providing the public with a valuable facility, it had the indirect benefit of stimulating competition by private enterprises, being immediately followed by a reduction of charges by some of the principal express companies. The popularity of the new feature was attested by its rapid growth. The fees on this class of matter, domestic and foreign, amounted, for the nine months ended June 30, 1879 (at 10 cents for each piece), to $20,659.40; for the year ended June 30, 1880, to $45,690.30; for the year ended June 30, 1881, to $65,697.20; for the year ended June 30, 1882, to $82,175.40; for the year ended June 30, 1883, to $97,088.10; for the year ended June 30, 1884, to $103,535.30; and for the year ended June 30, 1885, to $101,911.10. The average annual increase in the number of parcels of this class of matter from July 1, 1879, to June 30, 1885, was at the rate of 35.5 per cent. The decrease for 1885 from 1884 was 1.5 per cent., there having been a decrease of domestic parcels, as previously shown. The domestic parcels mounted from 448,656 pieces the first full year in 1880 to 983,303 pieces in 1885, the foreign parcels from 8,247 to 35,808 for the same time, and the total of the two kinds mounting from 456,903 to 1,019,111 pieces. The average annual increase of domestic parcels from July 1, 1879, to June 30, 1883, was 51.69 per cent.; for the year ended June 30, 1883, over 1882, the increase was 18.5 per cent.; for 1884 over 1883 it was 6 per cent.; and for 1885 there was a decrease of 2.2 per cent. from 1884. For foreign parcels the average annual increase from July 1, 1879, to June 30, 1883, was 75.16 per cent.; for 1883 over 1882 it was 2.3 per cent.; for 1884 over 1883 it was 29.3 per cent.; aud for 1885 over 1884 it was 21.4 per cent. For first-class (sealed) domestic matter alone the average annual increase from July 1, 1879, to June 30, 1883, was 16.8 per cent.; for 1883 over 1882 it was 9 per cent.; for 1881 over 1883 it was 2.7 per cent.; and for 1885 there was a decrease of 3.3 per cent. as compared to 1884. In foreign letters, or sealed matter, the average annual increase from July 1, 1879, to June 30, 1883, was 29.1 per cent.; for 1883 over 1882 it was 13.1 per cent.; for 1884 over 1883 it was 4.9 per cent.; and for 1885 over 1884 it was 1.8 per cent. OFFICIAL REGISTERED MATTER. Some idea of the extent to which the registry system is intrusted for transporting the official matter of the Government may be gained from figures in table No. 10 attached to this report. The number of packages of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal cards transmitted by registered mail from the several places of manufacture during the last fiscal year was 460,888, valued at $40,460,316.04, and the amount of money order remittances by cash or draft from postmasters is approximated at $100,300,000; making a total of $140,760,316.04 for the postal service. This does not include the postal funds which postmasters are permitted to send by registered mail at their own risk to the designated depositories. The number of packages containing national-bank notes, coin, internal-revenue stamps, &c., transmitted or received by the Treasury De partment and its several bureaus during the year, was $3,727, valued at $442,937,490.56, of which, as far as known, not a single penny was lost. The total number of packages (excluding those for money-order remittances not ascertained) shown by the table is 927,075, representing a total value of $711,642,035.46. All this matter (except the small portion received by the Treasury Department) was transported free of expense for postage and registration. The registry fees on the matter in the table would alone reach fully $100,0.0, and this amount would perhaps be very much more than doubled if registry fees were collected on all the official matter transported for the Government. All duly authorized public officers at the seat of Government are entitled to register official matter free, but the privilege outside of Washington is confined to postmasters and other postal officers. It thus appears that the registry system, besides being a great convenience to the public, is a necessity to the Government for the safe transportation of its own matter. DIVISION OF DEAD LETTERS. The whole number of pieces of undelivered mail matter received in the dead-letter office (including 97,906 pieces on hand from the previous year) was 4,808,146. They were classified as follows: Domestic mailed letters, including 3,582,834 ordinary unclaimed letters; 101,716 letters returned from hotels; 24,997 letters bearing fictitious addresses; 170,848 letters returned from foreign countries, and 4,041 registered letters.. Domestic unmailable letters, comprising 117,559 held-for-postage letters; Domestic parcels of third and fourth class matter Printed matter, samples, &c., mailed in foreign countries and returnable.. Total, as before............ 3,881, 436 418, 349 59, 196 412, 612 33,553 4,808, 146 The following was the disposition primarily of letters handled during Held-for-postage letters forwarded to address unopened on receipt of postage Held-for-postage letters opened. Held-for-postage letters on hand awaiting return of notices. Misdirected letters forwarded unopened after correction of ad- Letters returned to country of origin or delivered to addressees. Parcels of printed matter, samples, &c., returned unopened or Total 57,143 3,819, 793 7,500 3,884, 436 4,636 112,712 210 1,765 67,250 217, 108 14, 668 418, 349 59, 196 406, 203 33, 553 446, 165 4,808, 146 MATTER OPENED IN THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE. The following was the disposition of mail matter opened in the deadletter office: Delivered: Letters containing money Letters containing drafts, notes, money orders, and other evi Letters containing nothing of value which could not be returned to writers, including 166,600 letters forwarded to writers and returned upon failure to deliver Parcels containing magazines, pamphlets, fruit, cake, seeds, &c. VALUE OF INCLOSURES IN MATTER RESTORED TO OWNERS. The following is the amount of value of inclosures in letters restored to senders, or in course of restoration: Number of letters containing money restored to owners. Amount of money inclosed therein. Number of letters containing money outstanding in the hands of post 12,539 $22,453 43 masters for restoration to owners 785 Amount of money inclosed therein Number of letters containing drafts, checks, notes, money orders, &c., restored to senders $2,641 62 17,588 Amount of value contained therein Number of letters containing drafts, checks, notes, money orders, &c., outstanding in the hands of postmasters for restoration to senders... Amount of value inclosed therein MATTER RETURNED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES. The following number of pieces of matter originating in the United States was returned to the dead-letter office from foreign countries during the year as undeliverable: $1,795, 764 51 1,826 $315,409 07 Of the 16,487 unclaimed registered letters and parcels received there were Delivered to addressees or restored to senders.... 15, 511 74 902 16, 487 REVENUE FROM DEAD MATTER. The amount received in postage-stamps on insufficiently prepaid letters forwarded to destination, and upon articles of third and fourth class matter returned to senders, was $1,064.93. The money separated from dead letters that could not be restored to the senders, and turned over to the finance division for deposit in the United States Treasury, in compliance with law, amounted to $8,141.74, to which was added $1,250.87 realized from auction sale in January last of articles of merchandise for which no owners could be found, making a total revenue of $9,392.61 from these sources. This does not include the sum of $2,705.32, credited by the Treasury to the receipts from dead letters, the same having been received from post-office inspectors and other sources outside of the regular course. The total deposit amounted to $12,097.93. DEAD MATTER GIVEN TO CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. During the year 17,305 magazines, pamphlets, illustrated papers, picture-cards, &c., which could not be restored to the senders, were distributed amongst inmates of the various hospitals, asylums, and other charitable and reformatory institutions in the District of Columbia, as heretofore, by order of the Postmaster General. The following are the numbers of the several articles: Magazines. Pamphlets, &c. Illustrated papers.. 1, 152 2,754 3, 114 10, 285 |
