The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-12-15
r = P o r e
OF The
POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Posr Orvicr DEPARTMENT, I


From table it appes that the annual income,
from the LIST of July 1886, to the soth Of June ls4s
amornte to the sum Of. ........ "a ,S64 6A IS
Whilst the income for the year ending the
s0th Of June, 1916, the first under the new
-
Making loss OF revenue the first year un-
der the new law, when compared with
the annual average of the nine preceding
years, of. ST., 425 80
And making loss Of revenue the first year
under the new law, as compared with the
preceding of. ................... $50, 642 as
The revenues. above stated. include the
through the mails prior to the passage Of
the late law, OF which no account was
last ascsi year. This diminution Of the
revenues Of the department arises princ
pally from the loss on letter postage which.
when compared with that OF the preceding
year, amounted to Observation-Disclosures. 1883 Ga
Being the entire loss sustained by the de-
partmen.. except ............ -. sMlos 81
No portion Of this deficiency in the re.
Of the past year may traced to other causes
than reduction Of the rates Of postage by the act of
the Sd of March, Is45
First Expresses still continue to be run betwesn the
principal cites with as much regularity M The mails
and believed collect and transport letters for pay
Of the mails great numbers The penalty provided
by law for the commission of such offences can raIev
he enforced for the want of sufficient proof The rar
the receiver and the carrier refuse 10 testify srsins
selves to similar penalty The agents Of the depart
ment have no authority to arrest the OFFENDERS and
ssze upon their haas or trunks and have ths
before proper tribunal though morally certain that
they contain letters and hence convictions seldom take
place and if they do, recovery of the money after
judgment from inability Of such offenders to pay, is
uncertain as the convictions.
Second Advantage is taken of that provision of the
law which limits the weight of single letter TO half an
ounce to the orrespondence Of third persons and
packages of letters addressed different indiyidu-
cover and directed to third for dstrbuton
by which means hundred letters thus envelopsd
cents and over 500 81 CO. when the department T. ep
tied to receive under the law Eve or ten dollars accord
ing to the distance These practices can seldom be de-
Of the true postage The department Is thus com
PEELED pay for the transportation whilst those who
collect aud distribute receive the profits
Third Advantage is taken OF that provision of the
law which authorizes letters in relation to the cargo
be taken over mail routes free Of postage to cover
respondence in relation to other matters They are ge-
Morally marked on the outside of the letter" in rsa
ton to the cargoee Agents are unable to detect the
imposition those engaged in the practice refuse to dis
close the facts and the carriers themselves often g
norant of the truth Of the and the offenders escape
with impunity that privilege had been restricted to
the bills Of lading open letters relating to the cargo
much abuse would have been avoided on the principal
railroad abroad, and , steamboat nt routes. ,
ed or autographed circulars, in great numbers ad
dressed to postmasters and others not ordering Them
which are not called for and called for refused to be
taken from the Offices.
These and similar practices to evade the payment of
ing annually between and half and two millions IN
number cucumber the mails unnecessarily and without
any profit to the department.
To remedy these evils respectfully suggest that the
law be SO amended as to make the single letters weigh
quarter instead OF the half ounce except in the
OF welghng Tess tnan nail an ounce, and written
upon single sheet Of paper.
That the same power be given to the post ONCE depart
given Tho Secretary OF the Treasury against SNUG
eiers.
That all letters passing oyer mail routes which relate
70 the cargo be ee when they are unseaed and subject
to the inspection oil the post ONCE agents when fraud is
suspected
And that the postage on newspapers be 80 adjusted as
approach more nearly the cost Of transportation and
delivery and be made more equal and just between the
publisher This may be accomplished without any
material interference with the policy of disseminating
Intelligence among the people by their general crcula
were few in number and published in the principal ciss
ana low posases seemed 70 secure the eoec
and the rates were xed without much regard to the sze
whilst the letter postage was made high 30 as to cover
the expense Of transportation OF both. The reasons
upon winch TINS Pchcy was FOUNDED, nave IN some mea-
sure, ceased. Newspapers are now published in the
principal villages the onion and furnish the
means OF information to almost every neighborhood
The Justice 70 written correspondence, by taxing 1t
with the OF newspapers has been partially
by the reduction OF the rates OF letter postage
From shis act OF justice, an INJURY mas resulted to the
community at large by transferring the cost of trsns-
porting ne wspspers upon the general revenues No sat
siactory reason now exists why those who buy and sell
newspapers should have the cost of transportation paid
out OF the revenues collected from the great body Of the
people
weight the distance 10 be TAKEN operate unfairly be
tween the publishers themselves, by enabling those pa
pers pnonsned III commercial clues 10 compete
with tne village press Tor IN their respective
locaues WHIST the sending papers Tree Tor thirty miles
rom tne place OF puohcs1n counteracts to some ex
tent this alike unust to the ether and
notn unjust the community az the burden OF both is
thrown upon me treasury. .
AS an act Oh Jusuce petween tnc publishers them
selves me rates postage should be regulated sccord
ing 10 the SIZE or OF me paper ana the distance
to be carried rs'ervng the right them Of taking their
act O. JUSTICE to the community these rate. should be
20 hlgn as 10 cover any oencency %ncn tne reduced
rs'es " posake On eueis may NIKE 80 a. 70 render
the income OF inc department, eaua to II; expenditure
transient nc wsPapers or nose sent py otners tnan
the publishers 70 the fuDscrioers they are usually
sent IN lieu oil ieers should De rated hgner Than other
newspapers, :, , .
All printed matter passing through the mails sheud
oe prepare, anu a., ,eaeas De prepaid OF Iea WIN
double postage some sucn Oh the late law
are behevedt 20 De necessary 70 give the cheapposage
system iair uaI securing 70 inc department. u le-
giumate revenues, ana adoPted oy Congress III con-
ndenty oenevea, from ne Ieouc,ons wnicn nave Deen
made IN the Two secuons Already let TO contract and