New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-03-02
The Readable MonthIies.

Werecognize two classes of Monthly Magazines
the Readables and the Admirabes With the
latter-proiuse and gorgeous as an Autumn Prai
RE though they bc-wc are seldom in either the
humor or the leisure to be astonished. Three OF
the former are before US.
HuNr's MERCHANTS MAGAZINE Is, to adopt a
congenial phraseology, staple commodity-al-
ways in demand, always quite up to high quota
ton mark. We would quote great portion Of
it if we had room. The number for March is a
fine specimen Of this really valuable work. The
leading article Sketches of Russian Commerce
we have read with profit and pleasure. Thsls
followed by an interesting account OF the Origin
and History of the Danish Sound and Belt-Tolls.'
But the most important article in the present
number is that on Post Office Reform In
this article the writer attempts (and we think
with good success to show that the postage OF
letters carried not over over 80 miles might be
established at 3 cents over 80 and not more than
400 miles, 5 cents all others, 10 cents; and this
great reduction can be made without embarrassing
the Post Office Department. To effect this, Of
course it would be necessary to abolish the
ranking privilege, and compel each Department
of the Government to pay It's own postage bulls.
This is certainly nothing more than right-as,
under the present state Of things, the Post Office
Department is actually tared for the support OF
the other Departments-a thing never contem-
plated or advocated by any body: it being
universally admitted principle in discussing the
afarsof the Post Office Department that it should
maintain itself, and nothing more.
The actual cost of the ranking privilege seems
to be matter at which we must content our
selves with guessing Nothing definite is known
on the subject By the Department itself-such
wide discrepancies exist In the official reports
From the best estimates, however, which the
writer in the Magazine has been able to make,
he sets down the expense of the ranking privilege
per year as follows:
Free letters according to P. NJ G.'s Re-
port, Dec. 3, 1912, 5000, 0OO-whlch
letter would $4,000
Postmasters' Commission on the above $4,000
Free letters not included In above Re-
port, because not exhibited by the re-
turns of the Deputy Postmasters, !.
100000, at Is cents each.......... 10000
Cost Of advertising free letters 10000
Free printed matter if charged at the
usual rates, exclusive of newspaper
exchanges, "a very low estimate, we
think 2lO,UUU
Total cost OF the ranking privilege
per year................. 100000
The facts and reasonings upon which these es-
Inmates are based are set forth at length, in the
Magazine, and appear to US to be irgefutable and
logical. With this large item to be subtracted
from the annual expenses OF the Department, the
writer proceeds with very clear analogical ar
gument to show that the revenue OF the Depart
ment would be increased under the reductions he
advocates in the ratio Of those reductions But
leaving the ranking privilege undisturbed, the
writer estimates that his tariff of postage would
materially increase the revenue. We have not
room. at thus moment, to go into this subject In
detail, and recommend the entire article to an ct
tentiye perusal