In 1823, President James Monroe and his Postmaster-General John McLean began referring to the "Post Office" as the "Post-Office Department". While the Postal Service Act of 1792 established the Department, it was always just called the "Post Office". This wasn't just happen-stance, it seems to be a planned effort to raise the prestige of the Post Office and the Postmaster-General. With the Post Office as one of the departments of the government, soon the the Postmaster-General would sit as a member of the President's cabinet. In fact, President Monroe even suggested to Congress, that it might be proper for Congress to "provide for the appointment of post masters, where the compensation exceeds a certain amount, by nomination to the Senate, as other officers of the General Government are appointed." Yep, there was a reason for the change from "Post Office" to "Post Office Department". Just like the Secretary of Department of Treasury, or the Department of the Navy, or the Army so too the Department of the Post Office should now also have as it's head, a member of the President's cabinet.
Postmaster-General John McLean never did get a position in the President's Cabinet, but his successor William T. Barry did get close. President Andrew Jackson invited his Postmaster-General to sit in as a member of the Cabinet in 1829. Yet, the distance to full Cabinet status was as long as some of the postal roads themselves. It wasn't until the Post Office Act of 1872 that the Post Office Department was officially elevated to Cabinet Status. There it stayed until 1971, when the Postal Reorganization Act turned it into an independent United States Postal Service.
The road to Cabinet Status was long, but in 1823, President Monroe gave the Post Office Department a big push. In his State of the Union Address that year, he shared what at the time seemed like some amazing statistics about the Post Office Department. There were 88,6000 miles of roads to cover with gross postage collected of over $1.1 million. Here is Monroe's full report, followed by his request for Cabinet status.
"A report of the PostMaster-General, which accompanies this communication, will shew the present state of the Post-Office Department and its general operations for some years past.
There is established by law 88,600 miles of post roads, on which the mail is now transported 85,700 miles, and contracts have been made for its transportation on all the established routes, with one or 2 exceptions. There are 5,240 post offices in the Union, and as many post masters. The gross amount of postage which accrued from [1822-07-01] to [1823-07-01] was $1,114,345.12. During the same period the expenditures of the Post-Office Department amounted to $1,169,885.51 and consisted of the following items, viz:
- Compensation to post masters, $353,995.98;
- incidental expenses, $30,866.37;
- transportation of the mail, $784,600.08;
- payments into the Treasury, $423.08.
On the first of July last there was due to the Department from post masters $135,245.28;In 1824, Monroe reported that the Post Office Department had receipts that exceeded the expenses.
from late post masters and contractors, $256,749.31;
making a total amount of balances due to the Department of $391,994.59.
These balances embrace all delinquencies of post masters and contractors which have taken place since the organization of the Department. There was due by the Department to contractors on the first of July last $26,548.64.
The transportation of the mail within five years past has been greatly extended, and the expenditures of the Department proportionably increased. Although the postage which has accrued within the last three years has fallen short of the expenditures $262,821.46, it appears that collections have been made from the outstanding balances to meet the principal part of the current demands.
It is estimated that not more than $250,000 of the above balances can be collected, and that a considerable part of this sum can only be realized by a resort to legal process. Some improvements in the receipts for postage is expected. A prompt attention to the collection of moneys received by post masters, it is believed, will enable the Department to continue its operations without aid from the Treasury, unless the expenditures shall be increased by the establishment of new mail routes.
A revision of some parts of the post office law may be necessary; and it is submitted whether it would not be proper to provide for the appointment of post masters, where the compensation exceeds a certain amount, by nomination to the Senate, as other officers of the General Government are appointed."
"The revenue of the Post Office Department has received a considerable augmentation in the present year. The current receipts will exceed the expenditures, although the transportation of the mail within the year has been much increased. A report of the PostMaster General, which is transmitted, will furnish in detail the necessary information respecting the administration and present state of this Department."
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29465
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29466
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Post_Office_Department
https://postalmuseum.si.edu/research/topical-reference-pages/postmasters-general.html
No comments:
Post a Comment