The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-01-08


the Department is charged with the risk and trouble
of delivery it is believed that such imposition OF
postage would tend to lessen the temptation 10 seek
for channels of private conveyance over mail lines,
to avoid the payment of postage. II not proposed
toprohbit, as is done IN most OF the European 60
vernments, the sending by private conveyance a
letter; but letter. SO sent. shall be deposited by
the bearer in post office, to be delivered, then TO
It would be difficult to estimate the amount which
would be derived from this class of letter post
age, but IT Is the opinion OF some intelligent post
masters that not less than $4,000 would thereby be
added to the revenue:
Under the hope that Congress will at its pre-
sent session, by proper legislation, protect the De-
partment against Innovations upon its rights andcon,
sequent loss of revenue, | respectfully recommend
the adoption OF the distances and rates OF postage
above, in lieu of the present
If Congress will relieve the Department from the
amount now paid annually for railroad transporta-
non, by a permanent arrangement with the great
leading lines OF ntercommunlcatlon, and also regu-
late the Thanking privilege and restrain 1t within
proper limits, then ! am prepared to meet ine de-
mands OF public sentiment and recommend iurthcT
reduction OF letter postage to ten cents upon all let
tiers over thirty miles.
The inquiry, what effect such reduction would
have upon the revenue of the Department, appro-
prlately suggests itself .
The answer to be given involves several consid-
erations.
In the first place, the Department should be re-
lieved in its expenditure of the sum now nearly
equal to half million per annum, and which is
liable to be increased at each period for the renewal
of contracts for railroad transportation Deduct
this sum from $4 ,235, O52 the current expenditure
of 1912, and it leaves SO, SO2 4S4 as the probable
future expenditure, upon the present basis of service
Upon the hypothesis that the letter correspondence
through the mail SHALL under this reduced rate OF
postage, increase at the rate Of 70 per cent only,
upon the letters sent through the mail in lS36-the
revenue from letter postage may be estimated at
$2y62l ,243 %. To which is to be added the amount
to be received for newspaper postage, SOP 22S and
the amount from fines and forfeiture, $766. This
will give gross revenue of So, 49,, 25.
II must be admitted that this reduction OF postage
will be followed by considerable increase of
mail matter. The rate of increase is matter OF
allow myself to hope for a greater increase than
twenty per cent. Tor years TO come, though others,
whose opinions entitled to respectful considera-
tons, estimate greater increase, varying from
twenty to fifty per cent.
Assuming the increase of mail matter to be twen-
y per cent consequent upon the proposed reduction
the amount of gross estimated revenue will be as
above
ss.ls4.as7
Total amount of expenditure for ls4s, exclu-
sive Of $432 500 paid to Railroads, $3,s02 ASA
This $50, 802, 484 may, therefore, be assumed as
the average amount of future expenditure
1t will be seen that, by calculating the revenue
upon the amount of mail matter in 1896, and the flu
ture expenditure by that OF 1912, the proposed re-
ducton OF postage would cause reduction of reve
nue. OF over half a million of dollars below the
expenditure of the Department
If, however, the increase of mail matter shall be
equal to forty per cent. upon the basis of 1885, as
sum of $436,s73 SO. To which amount, may be
added $50, 900, the probable income from the pro-
posed postage on drop letters.
In the foregoing estimate of income and expendi-
ture, have adopted the amount of mail matter OF
1885, and the amount OF expenditure for 1872 There
has been no account taken of the number of letters
which passed through the mail during the last year.
An estimate OF the number may be made by the
l amount OF letter rpcpIved during the ear
1912. That amount was So 953 3l9 81. To produce
this sum, would require 80 295 92 letters charged
with postage, to have been delivered through the
mail.
| A calculation of revenue based on this number of
letters, upon the supposed reduction of postage and
the probable increase of mail matter, will be more
likely to give the to be received than upon
The number of letters delivered through the mail in
1896
Postage 1921 900 letters under 80 miles, at rate of
cents on a single letter, 1881 ,095 90
| On Is 74072 letters at 10 cents, 2,5N,407 90
| Add 2Oper cent for probable increase of ten
cent letters, sos, 4Sl IS
| From newspapers S72,22s 90
From fines and forfeures, 766 90
Total aggregate revenue, s,s5s,077 rs
Average future expenditure, exclusive Of
Railroad transportation, $780,, 4s4 90
The rate of reduction here proposed is not equal to
the ratio OF reduction recently made In England, and
consequently the ratio of increase of mail matter will
not be SO great as in England
There is an additional reason why 1t Will not be
In the same ratio OF increase and that is the power
which is exerted in England to force the entire
respondence of the Kingdom through the Post OF
| fee.
The reduction here proposed, and any other should
be preceded by specific legislation, whereby the De
partment is to be relieved from the amount paid fel
railroad transportation. Secondly, bya total repea
OF the fanking privilege, or strict confinement OF i
to official business, and an ample protection agans
inroads upon the revenue by private expresses anC
other modes OF evading the payment of legal postage
Respectfully, yours, &c.
| C. A. WrcKTrEFE