Arkansas intelligencer., 1844-04-06

thens would roteve those who pay posta &c on lot
tiers, and thereby to illustrate tho business of the
principle, that charges should be uniform.
AS to the fourth. proposition the writer is not
prepared to state positively that more in pro.
portion IS paid Tor carrying the mail than is usu.
ally charged for passengers That i, costs more
than tie transportation of other freight is notori.
Gus. 72 That II costs too much, is proved by the
Statements OF several successive Post Masters
GENERAL, and also, by two three facts taken Of
random from official reports.
The mail is carried from Baltimore to Wash.
ington by railroad, at an annual charge of $l2,-
ooo. Stages formerly performed the same ser.
vice for $4,000.
From New Orleans to St. Louis, 1850 mile.
the mail is CO rricd for $40 each trip. From, New
orieans to Mobile i64 miles. 500 O5 each trip.
one cent and three fiths per mile in one case. ff.
ty-eISht and thcee-ffths in the other. -. 'n.'
Inc proprcty OF the fitthpropositior., charges
and allowances for transportation should be regu.
lated by weight, would seem too obvious to re-
qu're Illustration or argument. Yet the ilom Of
weight Is hnr dly regr rdcd at all IN the present
rates of postage and the official statements en-
anatnS from the Department do not show that i,
is considered in making contracts.
These different suggestions adopted It is bcIoy.
ed That the rates of postage might be advanta-
SeouSIy~ liked at cents per half ounce, or Ga
cents per pound, on all matter. whatever, excep:
newspapers in certain cases. .t.....
- 1t has already been minated that a charge Of
4 cents per ounce on newspapers, might have the
effect OF greatly reducing the number ira mittcd
through the nails innsmuch as most of those
which now pay one cent cent and half
weigh more than an ounce, and some moro than
two ounces, SO that the erage increase Of post.
age at the rate proposed, would be at least four
fold. '' .' -
: 1hdherIng IN the main to the rulc suggested, of
uniformity in charges, exceptions in favor of
hewsP iperS might IN some cases, be made. with
proht, both to the Department and the public.
hencvcr newspapers could be carried at less
IMAM a cents per ounce, without loss special ar
Engagements might be made to that effect with the
agents of the Post Office.
For example. The ordinary charge for trans
portation of passengers from n. York 10 Washing
ton, may be stated a, cents and 66 hundred,hs
per pound, or 80! hundredths of one cent per
ounce The semi Weekly Globe weighs lit. |
lie more, and tho Tri Weekly lnteIligencer lit
ne less than one ounce and quarter per humber.
Tho e"et OF e"rt yfnS Titho- a. Mo-. Yorh would
aTneun. 10 less than half cent. One cent per
number on each, would be- ono third less than tho
postage now is, and still leave surplus to the es-
tabIishmrnt equal TO the cost of carriage.
And IN some the rates might be much
more considerably reduced. charge of three
mills for conveying ounce newspaper from /
New York to Albany, $50 miles, would yield the
same profit 10 the Department. The postage u,
present is one cent and half.
BY charging double the cost in cases whore the
price of transportation is sufficiently low. pro-
Vision might be made for reducing lho rates on
more expensive routes. 1t would of course be es-
senla 10 the proper management of such matters
that tho Department be left free TO mako such
terms with publishers as would best promote the
interests of the service. .,.
If lhe Pos, Office establishment were ontilcly
out Of the reach of patty influence. perhaps no
objection would be made to such a plan. And
there Is little doubt. that under any circumstances,
such discretionary power would be used with
TO the revenues of the Department.
But If ii be considered too liable to abuse from
political fvoritism, another plan might be adopted.
ro;-so well snilcd indeed to the Government the
Press. but still bettor, or q, all events more Just
Than tho system now in operation.
Surprising that the average cos, Of transporia.
ton throughout the Union will not exceed cents
per poand per hudred miles ;that the average dis
Nahco wh'ch letters and newspapers are conveyed
respectively, are about the saine and that the LAT
yer VIII not average more than | ounces each
thoy might be carried without loss To tho Drplrl.
mem NJ charge upon each ono weighing oun.
c's ana Tess "rn disian':e not exceeding so miles,
h"h cent; between so and 100 miles. one cent:
S'S'N' III Tue same proportion la n
more tor each additional 100 miles up to the fourth
and tire" cents for all distances over 4 10 uiles
And all periodically printed sheets and Maya.
z'nes might be carried on the same terms. -
y II 1t be complained that these rates ur too hiph.
the u.s. that they are probaby not more than
anonSh TO pay the actual cost OF transmission.-
That on at least II per cent of the papers mailed
the rates would BE- one half less than they now are
on 43 per cent more, they would be the same;
while on the remaining 40 per cent, the increase
would be less than three fourths Of the present
cost On Magazines, the highest rates even,
would operate as a considerable reduction. The
Democ ratio Review weighs about ounces. Fine
postage could not exceed cents on the PLAZA pro-
posed. But it contains 7 sheets, aud is subject
under the present law to Il charge OF III cents
for all distances over 100 miles.
These rates might be tested by proposing to the
different publishers to take their choice; send
their papers by the Post Office, or by the private
express lines, one tho other; but that If they
avail themselves of Post Office facilities at all,
they must andoh the private expresses. or incur
the penalty OF total exclusion from the mails. Such
course would be perfectly reasonable, and an
effeclual substitute for compulsory legislation.
A much more reasonable objection would be
that those rates are TO low an proportion TO the