Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1846-12-31
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.


al isa well written document, but ouI
limits will only permit us 10 give an alb
stract Of its contents.
The loss OF revenue under the new law
the first year when compared with the
annual average Of the nine preceding
years is $ST,4?5 &c
The loss Of revenue the first
year under the new law as
compared with the Preced.
ing is Soo2,o2l 4G
This elimination arises principally from
the loss on letter postage, though on in
considerable portion Of it is traced to the
following causes.
First-Exprcsses sill! continue to run
regularly between large cities, collecting
aud transporting for pay large amount
of mailable matter.
Second--Advantage is taken Of that
provision Of the law which limits the
weight of a single letter to l-2 an once
to cover the correspondence Of third per
Sous; and even packages of letters ad
dressed 10 different individuals are COL
lected together and placed under sing {
cover and directed 10 some third person
for distribution, by which means 100 let
tiers thus enveloped weighing ounces
are charged under 800 miles, 80 cents
and over 800 miles ST go, when the De.
partment is entitled TO receive under the
law 5 or 10 dollars according to the dist.
ance.
Third-Adsantage is taken Of tina, pro
vision Of the law which authorizes letter!
in relation to the cargo to be taken owe
mail routes free Of postage, to cover C or
respondence in relation to other matters.
Again-Transient newspapers, adver
lisements, printed or Autographed crcuI
ars, in great numbers, are addressed Il
postmasters and others, not ordering them
which are not called TO-, and if called for
ref% rssss :; and similar practices to- esaa'
,ba nss~ess ff se;;,." with .%e annually
between one half and two millions it
number, encumberthe mails unnecessarily
and without any profit to the Department
To remedy these evils it is recommend
ed that the law be so amended as 10 make
the single letter weigh one quarter insleat
of the half ounce, except in the case Of {
letter weighing less than half an ounce
and written upon single sheet of paper.
That the same power be given 10 TIT
p. O. Dept. to prevent violation Of it
revenue laws, as is now given the Score
tary of the Treasury against smugglers.
That all letters passing over mail routes
which relate to The cargo, be free, wher
they are unsealed, and subject to the in
spec,ion of the P. 0. agent, when lraue
is suspected. And that the postage OF
newspapers be SO adjusted as to approach
more nearly the cost Of transportation anc
delivery, and be made more equa! anc
just, as between the publishers.
1t is also suggested as regards news
papers, that the rates Of postage shonlt
be regulated according to the size OIL
weight OF the paper and the distance to b.
carried, reserving the right to them o
taking their own papers over mail routes
out oftho mails.
Transient newspapers, or others thai
the publishers to the subscrib ers, as the
are usually sent in lieu Of letters, SHOULD
be rated higher than other newspapers.
All printed matter passing through lh'
mails should be prepaid and all letters pre-
paid or rated with double postage.
The whole expenditure for
the year ending 3Oth June.
1876, amounted to 1904, 2o7, 2:
The income tor the same
time, including the hostages
paid by the different BRAN
ches Of the Executive
Government, amounted to 3, 4S7, 1919, 81
Leaving deficiency of
income of $597, O97, 8;
There has been great saving in the
new method Of letting mail contracts
while at the same time the department
has, in the new contracts, increased the
frequency and despatch OF the mails.
Near one-third of the Offices in the U
S. have been voluntarily vacated since
the passage of the act of3d March, 1915
This is in great degree attributed tc
the increased labor in the offices ard the
diminished compensation to postmas!ers
produced by it.
The omission Of the act oil 1916 to pro
vide increased compensation proportion
ed to the increased labors, has deprived
the department Of the service of many o.
its most efficient officers, and still proven,
in many cases, individuals qualified for
the discharge of these duties, from ac-
ccpting them.
For reasons given at length the P. M
General has decIiaed establishing an ex,
press line which has been SO anSiously