New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-11

the offices, from FOSt captain GOWN, put up &c
the lowest bidder for the sake of economy
A good cannon is as much needed as a gooc
officer, and without any reference to the price.
The Postmaster Generals Report.
Editorial Correspondence.
WAsHlHGroN, Friday evening, Dec. 8. 1913.
I have Just reached the Metropolis, and have
some things TO say which must give way to the
POSTMASTER GENERALS REYoRr, which has Just
made its appearance. Sad am that Mr. Wick
life ,oiN persist in opposing any comprehensive
and adequate Post Office Reform; but, since it
is as il is and regret will not mend it, will en-
dcaror to counterfeit some of the unfavorable I'M
pressions which this Report, unopposed, is calcu-
lated TO make.
Tie Postmaster General admits that his affairs
are in bad way. During the last fiscal year,
his receipts have fallen off more than S25U,O0O.
This wear, he it remembered, is one of decided
Improvement in business and increased diffusion
of intelligence. Congress was III session but
three months, and probably sent out not one
fourth the average number of political documents
and speeches to eat up the Revenue of the De-
partment by the Postmasters' charges of two
cents on each for the delivery of " free letters
There will be few years i'll twenty more favora
Bile to the Department than this. Yet Its Reeve
nue. falls of Quarter of a Million. amounting
to but S4,295,925, while the Expenditures were
S4,374,413-showing deficit Of about $4,000.
Thus, then, the p NJ. General, with an increase
OF Mai! Transportation, Post Offices, Population,
Wealth, Intelligence, Business every thing
which should increase Postage but additional
wisdom ct head quarters-fnds his revenue
falling of and his Department running i'll debt
Is il not evident that something must be done
But what Mr. Wickiffe is fierce for more
compulsion-more penalties The People are do
ing their own business cheaper than the Govern.
-sent viii dc it for them, and they must he pun
ished for their contumacy. a law empowering
the Department to break open all trunks and
boxes passing or the highways OF travel, contis
cate the contents and imprison the owner of each
one In which letter or roll of newspapers shall
be found-this appears to be the sort of Legislation
the P. nj. General desires. But in the first place
no Congress will venture to enact any such law
secondly, no such could be enforced, thirdly, il
would not increase the Post Office Revenue if i
were 1t would only lead the horse to the water
making him drink Is something beyond the
power of Congresses or the wit of Postmaste
Generals. No penalty against carrying letter
for friend will make men write and mail letters
when they deem the Postage SO high as to over
balance the inducement to wIite or when they
have no money topay with. The remedy for til,
evil which MIR. Wicklitfe feels and deplores lies
in directly opposite direction.
A word here as to Expresses. We do not APP
prove ofthe sending Of mere Letters by Express
or establishing Expresses to carry such. No re
gular Express advertises or offers to carry such
But they GRE established to carry back and sor,l
packages of Merchandise, SC. which the Post
Office will not take at any price. In these pack
ages bill of items or letters Of advice it is pre-
sumed, often accompanies the goods. Thu
say the District Attorney, Judge Belts, and tn
Postmaster General, is violation of the law, am
subjects the propretors of the Express, and eve
those of the steamboat or railroad which tran:
ports them, to the penalties of breakers. Blu
says the Merchant, you will not carry my pack
ages, why will you not allow Others to do it
cannot send the goods without bll-why shoul
you forbid that If am wrong, punish me !; bu
why pounce upon the ESpress-man or Railroa
Company lfthey open my package to see
it contains any writing, shall have them pur
ished for breaking my seals; if they do not, go
lump upon them. What are the poor fellows to do
But the P. NJ. General is wrong in laying S
much of his trouble on the backs ofthe Expresse:
Every great Hotel in New-York knows shs
oceans of letters go, and ,c;2 so, to Albany, Troy
Philadelphie, and Boston, daily, by private hand:
They get carried somehow, and at no cos
Break up all the Expresses tomorrow, and we
not believe Mr. WickEHe's dilemma would be
whit less awkward. We know houses whlc
despatch hundred letters IN day, at an eS
pense perhaps of S., ON which the Postag
would be So. Compel them to send by the Post
Office, and you simply stop their writing; thei
business will not bear the extra charge; they
must travel more and correspond less. Willtha
restore MIR. Wicklifes missing Quarter of Mil
lion? We say No.
And now to the other mattes-the feasibility