Chapter CCXXXI. *making Appropriations for the Service of the Post-office Department for the Year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four*
1,590 words·~7 min read·
/statutes-at-large/vol-17/chapter-ccxxxi-2440212·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. CCXXXI.— An Act *making Appropriations for the Service of the Post-office Department for the Year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four*. March 3, 1873. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled*, Appropriation for Post-office Department. That the following sums be, and the same are hereby, appropriated for the service of the Post-office Department for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, out of any moneys in the treasury arising from the revenues 1836, ch. 270.Vol. v. p. 80.of said department, in conformity to the act of July second, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, as follows:
Inland mails.For inland mail transportation, fourteen million eight hundred and forty thousand and twenty dollars. Messengers.For pay of mail-messengers, six hundred and seven thousand one hundred and seven dollars. Route-agents.For pay of route-agents, eight hundred and eighty-four thousand seven hundred and ninety-six dollars. Mail-route messengers.For pay of mail-route messengers, one hundred and seventy-one thousand two hundred and sixty-five dollars. Local agents.For pay of local agents, ninety-five thousand one hundred and fifty-eight dollars.
Clerks.For pay of railway post-office clerks, one million two hundred and fifty-seven thousand one hundred and fifty-seven dollars. 557 For pay of baggage-masters, two thousand four hundred and twenty-nineBaggage-masters. dollars. For foreign mail transportation, three hundred thousand dollars.Foreign mails. For ship, steamboat, and way letters, ten thousand dollars.Ship, &c., letters. For pay of postmasters, five million seven hundred and twenty-fivePostmasters, clerks, and letter-carriers. thousand dollars.
For pay of clerks for post-offices, two million nine hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. For pay of letter-carriers, one million six hundred thousand dollars; and that commencing with the first day of July, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, letter-carriers may be employed for the free delivery ofLetter-carriers may be employed in places of not less than 20,000 population, within, &c. mail-matter, as frequently as the public convenience may require, at everyplace containing a population of not less than twenty thousand within the delivery of its post-office; and that for the purpose of employing carriers where not already employed at such places, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
And for the more efficient organization of the free-delivery system, the Postmaster-General may designate one of the present fourth-class clerks, to act as superintendent of free-delivery inSuperintendent of free deliverySalary, and when to terminate. the Post-office Department, at an annual salary of two thousand five hundred dollars: *Provided*, That the salary hereby fixed shall terminate at the end of the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four.
For wrapping-paper, thirty-three thousand dollars.Paper and twine. For twine, thirty-eight thousand dollars. For letter-balances, three thousand dollars.letter-balances. For office-furniture, six thousand five hundred dollars.Office-furniture. For advertising, seventy thousand dollars: *Provided*, That hereafterAdvertising: no payment shall be made to any newspaper published in the District ofno part for, &c. Columbia for advertising any other mail-routes than those in Virginia and Maryland.
For manufacture of adhesive postage-stamps, one hundred and thirtyPostage-stamps and stamped envelopes. thousand five hundred and fifty dollars. For stamped envelopes and wrappers, four hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars: *Provided*, That hereafter no envelope as furnished by theEnvelopes not to contain, &c. government shall contain any lithographing and engraving, and no printing except a printed request to return the letter to the writer. For manufacture of postal cards, one hundred and sixty-seven thousandPostal cards. dollars.
For pay of distributing agents and assistants fourteen thousand dollars.Distributing agents. For payments on account of mail depredations and for specialMail depredations. agents, one hundred and sixty thousand dollars. For mail-bags and mail-bag catchers, one hundred and eighty thousandMail-bags, &c.; dollars. For mail-locks and keys, forty thousand dollars.locks and keys. For post-marking and canceling stamps, twelve thousand dollars.Stamps for post-marking and canceling. For preparing and publishing post-route maps, twenty-seven thousand dollars.Post-route maps.
For balances due foreign countries, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.Foreign balances. For rent of post-offices, three hundred thousand dollars.Rent, fuel, and lights. For fuel for post-offices, one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. For light for post-offices, one hundred and sixty thousand dollars. For stationery and miscellaneous items, sixty thousand dollars.Stationery. For registered package envelopes, fifty-six thousand dollars.Envelopes. For official envelopes for postmasters, twenty-nine thousand five hundred and twenty-five dollars. 558 For envelopes for returning dead-letters, six thousand one hundred and sixty dollars.
Fees to United States attorneys, marshals, and clerks.For fees to marshals, attorneys, and clerks of courts, seven thousand five hundred dollars. Engraving, &c.For engraving, printing, and binding drafts and warrants, three thousand five hundred dollars. Miscellaneous.For miscellaneous items, two thousand five hundred dollars. Increase of pay for transportation on railroad routes, &c.;For increase of compensation for the transportation of mails on railroad routes upon the condition and at the rates hereinafter mentioned, five hundred thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary: *Provided*, That the Postmaster-General be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to readjust the compensation hereafter to be paid for the transportation of mails on railroad routes upon the conditions and at the rates conditions of readjustment.hereinafter mentioned, to wit:
That the mails shall be conveyed with due frequency and speed; that sufficient and suitable room, fixtures and furniture, in a car or apartment properly lighted and warmed, shall be provided for route-agents to accompany and distribute the mails; and that the pay Pay per mile per annum.per mile per annum shall not exceed the following rates, namely: On routes carrying their whole length an average weight of mails per day of two hundred pounds, fifty dollars; five hundred pounds, seventy-five dollars; one thousand pounds, one hundred dollars; one thousand five hundred pounds, one hundred and twenty-five dollars; two thousand pounds, one hundred and fifty dollars; three thousand five hundred pounds, one hundred and seventy-five dollars; five thousand pounds, two hundred dollars, and twenty-five dollars additional for every additional two thousand pounds, the average weight to be ascertained, in every case, by the actual weighing of the mails for such a number of successive working-days, not less than thirty, at such times, after June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, and not less frequently than once in every four years, and the result to be stated and verified in such form and manner, as the Postmaster-Companies now furnishing cars refusing to provide them not to have any increase of pay.Additional pay according to length of cars.General may direct: *Provided also*, That in case any railroad company now furnishing railway post-office cars shall refuse to provide such cars, such company shall not be entitled to any increase of compensation under any provision of this act: *Provided further*, That additional pay may be allowed for every line comprising a daily trip each way of railway post-office cars, at a rate not exceeding twenty-live dollars per mile per annum for cars forty feet in length; and thirty dollars pet mile per annum for forty-five feet cars; and forty dollars per mile per annum tor fifty-feet cars; and fifty dollars per mile per annum for fifty-five to sixty feet cars;
Length of cars, how determined.*And provided also*, That the length of cars required for such post-office railway-car service shall be determined by the Post-office Department, and all such cars shall be properly fitted up, furnished, warmed and lighted for the accommodation of clerks to accompany and distribute the mails: Repeal of part of 1872, ch. 335, §265.*Ante*, p. 316.*And provided further*, That so much of section two hundred and sixty-five of the act approved June eighth, eighteen hundred and seventy-two, entitled “An act to revise, consolidate, and amend the statutes relating to the Post-office Department,” as provides that “the Postmaster-General may allow any railroad company with whom he may contract for the carrying of the United States mail, and who furnish railway post-office cars for the transportation of the mail, such additional compensation beyond that now allowed by law as he may think fit, not exceeding, however, fifty per centum of the said rates,” be, and the same is hereby, repealed.
Sec. 2. Appropriations for steamship service betweenThat the following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same are hereby, appropriated for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, namely: San Francisco, Japan, and China.For steamship service between San Francisco, Japan, and China, eight hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. FORTY-SECOND CONGRESS. Sess. III. Ch. 232. 1873. 559 For steamship service between the United States and Brazil, one hundredAppropriations for steamship service between and fifty thousand dollars.
For steamship service between San Francisco and the Sandwich Islands,United State, and Brazil; seventy-five thousand dollars. Sec. 3. That if the revenues of the Post-office Department shall beSan Francisco and the Sandwich Islands.Conditional deficiency appropriation. insufficient to meet the appropriations made by this act, then the sum of five million three hundred and ninety-six thousand six hundred and two dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to supply deficiencies in the revenue of the Post-officeAll laws permitting the transmission by mail of any free matter repealed from June 30, 1873.
Department for the year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four: *Provided*, That all laws and parts of laws permitting the transmission by mail of any free matter whatever be, and the same are hereby, repealed from and after June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and seventy-three. Approved, March 3, 1873.