DEAD LETTERS. In the following statement will be found a summary of the transactions of the Dead Letter Office, during the year ended 30th June, 1892:— Dead letters originating in Canada, returned as undelivered 9,905 Dead letters originating in Canada, returned as undelivered 100,296 1,625 111,826 LESS-Registered letters included therein and trans- 1,669 110,157 Dead letters, circulars, post cards, etc., returned from 830,093 26,911 Dead letters, registered, being found to contain value.. *90,620 1,057,781 * NOTE. Of this number 3,563 were registered or contained articles of value; the remainder, 87,057, being ordinary letters, etc. A good deal of ingenuity is sometimes displayed in framing the address of letters, and especially is this the case with correspondence from the United Kingdom, as the following which is a very good sample of originality in this respect will show : one Pictular Lady belong foresters canada socitiy of Hamilton ontario No. 113 Emerald street North in Pictularly of Hamilton canada ontario Pictulae Hamilton ontario canada to Lady herselff belong foresters Many of the envelopes now in use are exceedingly brittle, and much of the paper used for wrapping up small parcels sent by mail is of the same character. As a consequence of the readiness with which paper of this inferior quality cracks and tears in transit by mail, very many letters and packages reach the Dead Letter Office in so damaged a condition, that it is quite impossible to ascertain whether the contents are intact—indeed, many cases have occurred in which the covers only have reached the Dead Letter Office. Losses would frequently be avoided if tougher paper were used. PRINTING AND SUPPLY. In the appendix will be found statements giving in detail the results of the operations of the Printing and Supply Branch of the Post Office Department. There is a slight increase in the cost of the articles furnished through the Printing and Supply Branch, which include printing, stationery, mail bags, letter carriers' uniforms, stamping material, scales and weights-both for the inside service of the Department at Ottawa and for the outside service in the several provinces of the Dominion, the total amount expended under the above heads for the year ended 30th June, 1892, being $120,562.06; the amount for the year ended 30th June, 1891, was $114,960.31-being an increase for 1892 of $5,601.75. This increase was caused by an additional expenditure for printing of $3,184.18, and for stationery of $3,542.01-the difference between these amounts, $6,726.19 and the sum given above, $5,601.75, is accounted for by reductions in the expenditure for mail bags, stamping material, letter boxes, uniforms, and other miscellaneous items of $1,124.44. A very cursory glance at the details given in the statements in the appendix of the work of this Branch of the Department, will show the enormous amount of work involved in the preparation and distribution of the supplies required to carry on the business of the eight thousand Post Offices in the Dominion, and the careful manner in which that work is performed. XXV REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. STATEMENT of the Revenue of the Post Office Department of the Dominion of Canada, for the Year ended the 30th June, 1892. Balances due by postmasters on old revenue account, on 30th June, 1891.. 23,809 72 Less Stamps supplied to International Office of the Postal Union. 3,361,123 59 3,360,673 18 Transit postage on closed mails passing between the United Kingdom and Postage on parcels from Barbados, from 1st April to 31st Dec., 1891. do Commission received on money orders. Profit in exchange on money order business with other countries Void money orders, that is, money orders issued between 1st July, 1890, and 30th June, 1891, payment of which had not been claimed up to 30th June, 1892.. Gross Revenue. DEDUCTIONS. Salaries, forward allowances, allowances towards rent, fuel and light, and compensation to postmasters on money order business. Discount to stamp vendors Short paid, missent and dead letters.. Other miscellaneous disbursements. 16,231 38 1,710 75 189 69 20,882 02 9,478 33 725 14.99 445 60 2,441 57 102,462 61 2,374 12 1,889 81 3,542,611 02 808,035 57 16,881 05 2,703 05 741 87 Transit postage to Bermuda, from 1st Jan., 1890, to 31st Dec., 1891.. Transit postage on open inails for other countries, via France, from 1st Jan. to 31st Dec., 1891.. 2,819 12 61 97 Transit postage on mail matter passing through the United States for other countries, from 1st Jan. to 31st Dec., 1891 Transit postage on mail matter passing between Newfoundland and Canada, from 1st Jan, to 31st Dec., 1891... 28,864 05 2,824 45 Postage on parcels to Newfoundland from 1st Jan. to 31st Dec., 1891 Balances due by postmasters on old revenue account on 30th June, 1892 Net Revenue 19 20 3,039 09 25 21 472 59 23,039 24 889,865 23 2,652,745 79 STATEMENT of the Expenditure of the Post Office Department of the Dominion of Canada for the Year ended 30th June, 1892. The gross postal revenue for the year ended 30th June, 1892, was $3,542,611.02, showing an increase of $167,723.36 over the revenue for the year ended 30th June, 1891. During the same period the expenditure was $4,205,985.26, an increase of $185, 245.32. The large increase in the expenditure this year is owing to a payment of $53,994.42 to the Canadian Pacific Railway for additional mail service, and $44,672 to the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company for conveyance of mails between Canada and the United Kingdom. The contract with Messrs. H. & A. Allan having expired on the 11th April, 1891, and not having been renewed before the close of the session of Parliament, no special provision was made for the subsidy, the above payment had, therefore, to be made out of the ordinary appropriation for mail service. MONEY ORDERS. On the 30th June, 1892, there were 1,120 Money Order offices in operation in the Dominion, an increase of 40 over the number in the year previous. The distribution by provinces is as follows: The accompanying tables exhibit the Money Order transactions of Canada, both domestic and foreign, for the year ended 30th June, 1892. The interchange of Money Orders between Canada and the United Kingdom and foreign countries was as follows: Including all those British possessions and foreign countries between which and Canada there is not a direct exchange of Money Orders. + The convention between the Leeward Islands and Canada came into operation on 1st April, 1892. It will be observed that whilst the total number of Money Orders issued in Canada during the year has slightly increased, the total value is somewhat less. The number of orders paid in Canada is considerably in excess of the number paid last year, and there is a corresponding increase in the value of orders paid. xxviii |