Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-01-12
For the Vermont Phunix.
REDUCTION OF pOSTAcr

mn iON w POSTAGE.
Mr. Bythcr:-As the question ol o -.
Of our Post Office laws is now he;oa 'ylSlon
throughout the country, have G.lt so asuaed
surprised that the subject has not boon I',"ewhat
ed to your readers. Considering tbia P,csenl'
as one Of great importance to all 81. mailer
community, have vcntured 10 mat uses .s Of
lowing remarks upon il. Tue lO-
The Postmaster General in his lo,o
report, oilers no plan TO relieve The co,, unnua
ing portion Of society Of The heavy nos,a slond-
they now pay. Therefore il womb seo "se TAX
me du,Y oi 'he fress aud the Peopie ~ ~ ~. U
iheir shoulders TO me wheel, end BY di'cno.Iu'
ana pelIion' enueaVor To induce CoporroSsss' VI
auop Cne'p postage system, and rest,;o, - |"
ifanklns p.Fll'se. by discussion lbron"b, , ,he
H'c",ull ~ '"u 'eNS, me prbic mind is 70 ' he
u' w. ~. iI,,9pc'i by petitions 10 CoD'
of the wishes of their constituents W "uVlsed
The Post Office department na. .
for the accommodation Of The peonie " ,kOred
they have right 10 demand ths, :, ,Ie'vIofe
carried on in as cheap and convcniar, ."n De
for them as possible. Instead Of tL;s way
we see? The poor apprentices le,te wa, 20
three times what Il ought 10 be. in ode, | ,Ii
our serrcnis at Washington md C cl lnal
may send theirs Tor nothing The bn;'e
man charged is Sd cents for the cnr, o''ueSS
of a letter from New York 10 Boston ;u"ee
than treble the coSi,) that NJ. C's NAV VoOe
their dirty linen into the coun;rvto he 90. IagI
This state Of things imperavely reon;,"'
reform. and a reform must come. soonn,
ter. With the increased facilities f., ~ "a
communication now existing, no time con '''I''
better fitted Than the present, for a ,aJcai !. 70
tetailon in our postage system. Let AZ, ~
ministraton, then, SET about revising on, au-
tage rates, or devisine a plan To do so. wiB ~
eye single 10 the good Of the public. and I n a
remove much Of he odium resting nnc,;,
Let il pay some regard To the known and ~
pressed wishes Of the people in tits matter srI
MS many vetoes Of their cherished m, ss',a'
viii be- overlooked.
Another consideration shnuM NOT no lo,,
sight of. The present rates ol POSTAGE a,e 81
eXorbiant, that private expresses ae made pss
OF. IN great measure, between our nrirc;n,l
cities for the Transmission of letters drafts and
the like. This is found 10 be very pt,e,ohs
business, though performed for much he's Than
the government rfre. Should The rates Of
postage be SO reduced as 10 enable The Depau.
ment 10 compete with these expresses. japd
compete it can, Of course, with esO00OMO
revenue at its back the mails would contain
places they now do. So that much rorrespo1.
dence which at present Yields nothing, wouu
then afford revenue 10 OCT government.
Great stress is laid by some persons upo,
the expectation that The Post Office Depar.
meni should maintain ilscll.n These ind.
yduals would have millions appropriated fon
the Treasury to support an army and naval
the war establishment, vet would grudee NV
thousands which at FIRST might be necessary to
supply deficiency in the revenue Of the Pot
Office. In other words, they would impose "a
oppressive TAX upon The mass of the people
that few naval officers might be paid $4,000
! year TO do nothing!
The penny postage system OF England hH
been so often mentioned as a proof Of the len.
ELI Of cheap mail transmission, that little ned
be SAID upon that point. There rs one i,t,
however, worthy Of notice. Many adults IA
the British empire have, since the new iF
went into operation, learnt to write, that BIZ
may have the pleasure Of corresponding TA
their relatives and friends. This eircuasun,
/ considered in moral point Of view, wosil Ft.
, haps have some influence in county es |
, governed by the almighty dollar" than GUS;
as it is, it enters not into Mr. Wick dt's Cltg.
lations
In nv opinion, the only way in which he |
much desired postage reform can be hnrgil
, about, is by excepting it before the reqtTl
and it is my ftrvent wish that this may be doe
> by newspapers generally. Let public aiiClia
be once directed 10 the onerous raleS Of pst
d age, and the abuses OF The ilaukiug privilege
: by nearly all who exercise H., and confident!
anticipate a new and more just law as The r.
p suit Of their investigation. e,