New-York daily tribune., 1844-01-23
The Postage Reform.


It's in substance the bill defeated IN the SENATE
last winter though we think this an improve
nent upon that. Its provisions, as stated IN o'''
last, Substantially are
l. Each single letter carried less than 100 100
?. Each newspaper within is own county .itee ic'
Out Of the county, ard uade' 1SO lSD mics lc
g. If over "A by 30 inches, with all pamphlets ane o'
mater eeb but be i the Heads Of Departments Members
o Congress To- have certain number OF free stamps eacn
This bill proposes measure of real Reform
Yet Mr.. Merrick and its friends must bear WIN
us while we point out what appear to US serious
defects in it, viz
! The minimum for Letters is too high
While letter is conveyed from one end OF tue
British Isles to the other for cents, II Is aosuo
to charge cents for the smallest distance hefe'
unless that is to be uniform rate. we are con-
fdent 3 cents for distances less than 2O0 mlcs
will produce more Postage than 5 cents.
2. The minimum distance is too short by
this bill, letters sent from Boston to Albany
Trov. Hartford or New-York, from New YORK
to Albany, Troy or Boston, from Pnliaoelphia 70
Baltimore, and from Washington to any consloc-
rable place but Baltimore, will each be charged
10 cents. This is too high-oppresslvely' &C.
structivelv So Five cents between each OF tnese
points will produce more Revenue than Ten
Wby not try really cheap Postage, and back out
if it will not answer?
The maximum of 10 cents will do; but 1t
.hor,3 snnlv 70 letters carried over 1000 miles
instead Of ]0O.
a. Carrying newspapers within 'lle oouh'y
free. is the old abuse over again. we consent
70. insist on, the abolition of the ranking 10
Editors and of the free transmission Of Exchange
,,aners, because we want TO be rid of the systein
of making one man pay for carrying another
mans letters and papers. Yet here we nave II
acain.-And then within the County'-hoW
VAGUE and unequal! Some Counties are not TWO
miles square; others are over 5O; ana some
;Sto,es hare no counties at all. We are Tor carry
;no naners for short distances at the lowest possl
h,e rates, but no Franking Privilege Tor any oody
s. Printed matter ought to be carried by
,,p;pht wherever goes short distance
This would not only adjust fairly the tax on
large and small sheets, but would save to the
Department the cost Of carrying at least o,Ooo
tons of water per annum in newspapers The
publishers now say they haze no t'me to dry
their papers but Just weigh them when they
reach the Post Office, and charge them by tie
pound in advance, and you would very soon Ste
arrangements made to dry them IN ten minutes,
if necessary This would cost something,
but nothing to what the transportation OF water
now costs the Mail Service, and always will cost
1t until printed matter is lntsxlbly charged by
weight.
Instead therefore, Of the rates proposed by MI
Merrick, we would with Difference suggest the
following:
l. On Letters.
Every letter carried less than $50 miles 3 cts
F" over25O and less than ,U00, ,
" : over 100 miles. ~
flower Of su ounce and less than an ounce,
double these rates; ounce, two postages per
ounce.
II. On Printed Matter.
All newspapers carried less than SO miles to Il
regular subscriber of cent each in advance post
age being paid by the subscriber for each quarter IN
advance, or by the publisher the time of mailing.
Periodicals carried over so miles and less than
500, to regular subscribers, s cents per pound.
Do. over 500 miles, j cents per pound.
All printed matter not issued periodically and
% cents for over 500 miles.
all letters and printed matter not prepaid by the
subscriber or at the time OF mailing TO be charged
double the above rates invariably.
Advertised Letters 70 be charged 4 cents each
extra on delivery 10 deray the cost Of advertising.
These Rates, we are confident, will support the
Department, while Mr.. Merricks woald not be-
cause they would repress letter writing and divide
the letter.carrying. The Post Office ought to
carry all the Letters, and 1t can do so only by
carrying cheaper than individuals, as it easily may.
Why not do it, then, and stop the Private Mails,
ETC. in the only practical way, while greatly im-
proving the facilities afforded to the People p
Daring the last year, the British Post Office car
rying Letters for penny and Newspapers for
nothing from end to end of the Isles, has cleared
to the Government nearly Ss3,000,000 over all
expenses. Our Mails cost considerably more per
mile than those of Grea, Britain We must re-
form this, and give Cheap Postage to the People.
They viii appreciate, prof, by and sustain It.
Correspondence = the Express,
wAsAlNcros Jan. 20, 1914.
The Secretary OF the Navy, Mr. Henshaw, Will
leave the Navy Department on Monday, and II IS
said Com. Stewart vii! be the acting Secretary OF
the Navy for q while.
E1eHTy n. w isc WAS ioihliiaieu ldSs cNeNlhS Us
Minister 10 Brazil. He will be confirmed ID .
sumo. If confirmed, he would OF course be glad OF
ihe mission. Though not very poor ne is by no
means rich relying, he does, upon the uncertain
rewards of public llie for private support,
The President and Senate have ratified a ,reaty
with France for the exchange OF criminals escaping
from one country another, similar 10 the clause in
ahe Ashbuuon Treaty providing Tor the same object.
DEATHS IN NEW Y YoRK.--The number ofdeaths
in this City for the week ending Goth january, as
shown by the Inspectors Report, was l2s; Of
whom 81 were men, SO women, 81 boys and 33