The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-17

the power coassses, swoss~~S lss ~sss~ s~b
jsc, will be ssd~s the es~ssai 81 ca~ss~~ sA~s sh~
contract shall be made.
The pfups,e,y ofthss hss "a g~.~ssi s~s~~
been treated % ~, sa.sssi ssssss tbs cA4rf Ne
gs,rass the eemas..esusra m. ps.~pns s~~s'ss
and The difficulties which hsss ssgs,,ensss' 'aaa
ing Temporary contract. ~uh many II IA. e~ss~ss~-
since the date Of the, report have essssr.~a ~
the opinions therein snp,ss.sd
Unless this or some other moas be s1syesa ~ Geo
gress to relieve the D~parssns ssa sns tss
which railroad usastostAs,oo snes~~s ass.a as sss~
nues csnno, anticipate shs dsy ~hee shs fssss 81
postage may be reduced mall ise.ilsss sxssnsss ~
the increasing wants of the DISTANT, II hs is~s
favored, portions Of the Union.
When the community shall have hssa secossssn~a
to the rapid and beneficial mode Of railroad fsss~sss
ton of the mail, they will rel,assssh
and 1t requires great forecast 10 that these comp
mics acting wholly indrpendrn, ofshs 6eesssl Govern
ment, and influenced all corporations by ssss-
rest, will upon every renewal OF contract snb sb~aa
exact the highest sum in the capacity Of the Osvsr-
ment to pay. The increase of mail matter multi
pica'on of Post Offices made necessary a~ss the
public wants. the fuctualion in the prices o abcr
and property, will be the apology Cor such Demands.
These and other considerations connected With sbe
nature of the service, such having the power
to regulate the arrival and departure Of ths mails
the power to exclude all mail matter carried b, indI
viduals the power to order an express In cases 81
public emergency, have convinced me that !, Is not
only the duty but the interest of the Government
make witt; these companies or at least some Of
them at this time, permanent contracts. Allow me
respectfully to suggest, rather repeat, ,dsa
which submitted when was honored with per
sonal interview with the committee, and that is this,
that contract for perpetual transportation will cost
the Government no more than one for thirty years,
consequently the bill looks to that kind of contract,
though it may authorize one for shorter period.
have taken the liberty to submit, for the consider
alton of the committee, two other bills which though
not very long or complex of immense Importance
to the administration of this Department. The one
proposes to change the rates of postage to make
them conform to the Federal coin.
The rates charged are cents, 10 cents, ~ l-2
cents, l8 34 cents and Is cents, for single letters
1t is proposed to charge and 10 cents, 20 and IS
cents. This is, in fact an important reduction upon
all rates of postage below 18 ga cents. 1t is propos
ed to charge letters, paying 10 ga cents, 90
This is as great reduction as l think it would be
safe to make at this time Should it result in
duction of revenue, nevertheless the public convent
ence would be much promoted, and the actual labor
of keeping the accounts Of Postmasters would be
much reduced and simpfed by it, that respectfully
urge its favorable consideration by the committee.
The other bill is designed to reach the evil and
lieve the Department from the burden, or, in other
words to indemnify it for the expense of transport
| ing these immense mammoth sheets assuming the
name and appearance Of newspapers, but which, in
fact are in most reprint of books. have
adopted the principle of charging newspapers by the
square inch would suggest the largest size news
paper printed in the United States the size which
is to pay the rate of postage charged upon news
papers by the law of 1925.
All sizes above required to pay one cent for
every FIVE square inches that size.
| refer the committee to my Annual Report upon
this subject. have in my possession much valuable
| information collected from the Postmasters which
tends to show that these large newspapers are sent by
mail not to subscribers but to booksellers and shop
keepers to be sold upon commission for the use OF
the publishers and sent at cost less than it would
cost to send merchandise the same distance by the
cheapest mode of transportation. These packages
sometimes so overload the mails that it found i'm
possible to transport the mail regularly upon many of
the important routes.
| The committee, beg, will excuse me for volun-
teering these two last bills upon their consideration.
1t is not done in spirit of dictaton, Influenced by
desire to interfere with the business of the commit
tee but from hope that the subject brought thus to
their immediate attention will secure that considers
| ton which is due to it.
With great respect,
| Your obedent servant,
| C. A. WICKLIFFE.