The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-09-29
Thc Postmaster General VS.. The People.

What does MIR. Wickfe suppose the post Office
was established for9 Many people suppose 1t to be
for the convenience of the pnblic-for the promp.,
speedy and cheap conveyance OF private letters aho
public information. There is no obligation on the
part OF the people to employ the government arrange
ments for this purpose unless they please II is not
n matter of emcIument and profit, lucrative mo-
nocoy for the government, nor means OF extort-
ing money from the people, 1t was established to
facilitate the intercourse and business OF the COM
munity; vet the Postmaster seems TO view II as an
Instrument of extortion Suppose, in his anxiety to
make the department source OF revenue, he should
issue edict that, he construes the law, every
citizen should write letter aud pay the postage
every day. He would be set down as crazy man.
Or If he should order that all the baggage of passen.
gers on the mail routes should be put in the mail,
the same conclusion would be arrived at He has
not yet done this, but he has ordered that no pack
ages OF newspapers of printed matter shall be trans
ported on the railroads and steamers which carry
the mails between this city and Washington. The
object OF this is to compel the newspapers to be
carried in the mail, in order that he may get few
pennies more postage. In relation to this matter
the Postmaster's report for 1910 states as oows:-
"The practice of carrying newspapers out of the
mall without having secured the privilege in the
eontrsctI found be general that it could not be
suppressed without great inconvenience to The public
and, as the ambiguity Of the iap admitted doubts
IN regard TO the restriction, concluded that should
best discharge my duty by permitting these practi-
AS il is probable that the enforcement of the
prohlblrop would have the effect Of stopping the car
Tee the newspapers on the mail routes, rather than
causing hem 10 be conveyed in the mall it would
seem boLL Just and polite abolish the restriction
entirely"
Now here is sound sense. First, there is no law
for stopping the newspapers and second, it would
be impoltc TO enforce it if there was The present
Postmaster, Wickhffe, in his report of Jan. last,
states as follows =
"Icannot anticipate, however, any great extern
sion OF the service beyond Its present limits and
amount, unless Congress shall, in some mode, re-
leve the department from the heavy annual de-
mands made upon its income by railroad transporta-
the dnroads upon 1t by private expresses and rival
mail establishments"
Here Ia the protective system with vengeance
Congress did no, follow this genteman's advice,
and he has now endeavored to enforce his views
is endeavoring,to effect? 1t is to force into the
mails quantity of matter of such weight that he
acknowledges in another part of his report that the
mail cannot afford to carry it. The whole move
ment seems to be a wanton attack upon the rights
and conveniences of the public, with the view to
stop the diffusion of useful knowledge. All the ex.
pSrience Of the Department goes to show that the
revenues cannot be increased by restrictions or high
postage. The whole community suffers immensely
papers.