New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-07

s,tcudlng the delivery There should be no exception
Any departure from would unnecessarily increase tn
amount 70 others who we're taxed Tor - nsntensnc'
u the Government does not seek revenue rom
other than thst necessary for the support Of the sy
tenn no higher casrge SHOULD D. made than the coz,
transportation, and The expenses stiendins the deliver
Dire . ascertain with ary degree % accuracy the a.
tgs cost o; each letter package conveyed la tn
I nA4s 10 country Ike oars extending from the Al
lsniic 20 the Pachc snd from the Lakes b. the Gull
one portion OF Il covered with cities and villages dc
msncns daily and double daily mails with every isS!l
ty Tor speed and cheap transportation others spared,
popnisted without any Improvements whs,ever
scarcely requiring weekly mail the Of transport
stOn must necessarily vary. and change oiten a.
new contracts have D. be made In two sections Of
the country. probably two mail routes would the
cost OF transportation Dc tho
short time since the mail was transported TAI '
over one route - miles IN tour horse poet hes.
the rate Of aye cents per snnun On the other routes
similar services vii cJsi So 20 5000. In al such
cases the cost Of each escr or package must depend
IN some degree upon the amount paid 10 the contrsc
tors The coutrsct changes every four years snd the
price for the service depends upOs considerations con
neted with travel TIE route tho chances tor com
petition. SOS; OF supplies, az well IS upon the dis
lance The expense OF wing. forwarding and d.
livery VII slightly Increase the cost OF each, accoriin
t. the distance 10 : conveyed. the nurnter OF per
.Ons through whose hands il pass but neither OF
these Al Of them together viii more Affect the
OF each than the number conveyed in the malls and
that depends In great degree upon the rate OF poet
| sgr.
h. however. the cost u esch could be easily and A.
cursteiy sscertancd is wasn't OF uniformity would pre-
/ vent ia adoption As the rate.
Ia sscertanins standard by which the rates are 10
BE- sdusted the cost d1eren, routes IN the several
sections OF the Union, the distance to b. conveyed the
expenses in the Offices Of receiving forwarding and de-
livery. too minute and uuimporfanf % deserve
much consideration
The 5est and the only practicable criterion. viii be
the expense OF the whole system compared With the
revenue and the adoption of such rate 80 experience
shows % bs enough to nske the one meet the other
approaching near possible the cos,
Prior % the passage OF the act OF lstS the rates OF
postage letters adjusted according 81 the uum
Der OF pieces, making each single letter and dit
terent paid according % the distance they
conveyed II that the principal element In esti
mating the cost The prnePsl was not entirely sosn
doncd by the act of isf3. though much ssmpihed and
improved while charging by the piece is entirely
rendered. and the Just and equitable mode, By
weight substituted Experience proved that the rates
prior the passage Of that act too high for the
purposes Of revenue For series OF years prior 10 that
time the expenditures regularly exceeded the income
/ exhibiting annual average deficiency OF about
s25000 for the eight years preceding the passage OF
the act These deficiencies occurred while the trans
portaton gradually diminished within the sst four or
i've years about 1900 miles In extent so that II the
high rates OF postage had been contnsed the service
must have been greatly diminished. or large sums OF
money drawn annually from the Treasury Tor It's use
This resu, may be mainly attributed to two causes
| First the multiplication Of railroads and steamboat
lines augmented the expense OF the mail transportation
from siOi 1873 in lss 10 ss43i3O the 30th OF June
| ls45-more than double the former mail pay while to
| individuals the expense Of transportation WAS dim1n
shed more than half Second, the high rates OF post
age aud the reduced fare tor travel enabled the ex
presses to enter into competition with the Department
By conveying letters Of the mails. This business
extensively carried Notwithstanding the severe
penalties of the law and the energetic and determined
efforts OF the Department 10 enforce them.
The Act of 1915 reduced the rates OF postage more
than half and substituted the halle for single
letter in leu OF the single piece OF paper.
u. ~ IstpA IL. ha da
hciency proved much less than expected only
amounting TO s59zO9s and at the end OF the second
year only Sj4l5 while at the ent OF the third year
there found surplus Of sl72252 beyond the pro-
per expenses OF the year notwithstanding the very
great increase In the service In each OF the years rms
caused not only by an increase IN the revenue ou'
by reduction of the expenditures nearly equalns tho
increase That however exceeded the expectation OF
the friends of the set
The Increased business in the Offices and the improve
nent of the revenue under tae present rates OF post
age leads the conclusion that the ten cent rate may
be- dispensed with the close OF the present year, II
such other notifications Of that act have been sug
| gested in my former reports should be- adopted
la my last annual report an estimate was made O the
pairing letters which passed through the mails for the
year ending 3Oth June, 1857 This was founded upon
the of the preceding year and the October re-
turns of lSf5 which had been made In pursuance OF
resolution of Congress From this tsppeared that the
number OF letters paying postage, including ship and
steamboat letters ship letters forwarded Ia the mails
dropped letters and printed circulars, amounted Ia
50 1880 An estimate upon the same principle, for
the year ending the 30th June last would give ss the
number Of paying letters 55O6sO73. Tho October re-
showed that over onefoursh and less than one
third OF the letter postage derived from the ~ cent
rate This. taken the basis Of calculation, would
make a. 7j3 letters paying that rate H. therefore,
that should be dropped at the close OF the present
year. there would be loss OF eIloloI 10 DO supplied
from some other source during the next year.
1t can scarcely be doubted that, with the Surplus ex
peced the close OF the present year OF si2-o Tor
the hostages OF the Government for the next year the
81 from the reduction the
rate Of postage and the abolition OF the frsnkng prvi
egc, well the saving on dead ett-rsu prepay
ment should ba required and the two cents that
paid for advertising aud for the delivery OF tree letters
would enable the Department to meet It's expenditures
from It's resources on the 10th OF June, 1870 II
after that time the business OF the Offices shall continue
20 increase IL has done since the act of s4J which u
probable from the rapid increase OF the population and
business Of the country tho Department would not oa
embarrassed for the want Of ~ meet any probs'
BILE increase In the service.
one other Consequence expected by the friends OF
the act of ls45 and which relied on A. certain
means of proving tberoyenue has aot been realized
IL was confidently believed that by such reduction In
the Of postage, the business OF the expresses
would be- made Improbable and be abandoned lnis
has not been the The business, II Is believed
between the principal cities Is continued win muSh
activity and the revenue seriously impaired ~ H. In
recent number Of the Pathfinder published In Boston
the names Of i5 cities and villages are given which are
regularly supplied by expressrnen with packages from
that CITY, snd OF them doubtless conveying letters
regularly out OF the mails The penalties imposed
By law are sufficient for their suppression II proper
means were placed in the hands Of the Department
for their detection but IL Is believed that rate Of
postage which would tbs expenses OF the system
could be adopted, sufficiently low 10 induce shsm TO
abandon II.
In settling the rates Of postage, II is not unmportsnt
10 have them correspond with the current and legal
coins OF the United States The fewer the rates, the
more convenient the Posnssters In performing their
duties ia their Offices and lees liable % err Ia keeping
their accounts and settling them with the Department
Simplicity ia the rates, well ~ 10 the mode OF
keeping their accounts will promote chespness as well
regularity in the transportation and delivery OF the
mails
FOR the purpose OF taxation, tho matter conveyed In
the mails should be classified a. follows
Fbs,-Lettcr postage should embrace ell written
commune atoms under seal not, and each sealed
packet or package. This class 10 composed OF private
confidential communications, often containing articles
Of value partaking more u individual than public In
terest requiring more In their preservation, more
labor in stamping packing and enyeopng than printed
matter and are always forwarded under Jock and key
and should therefore be charged az higher rate A
uniform rate Of i've cents for each half ounce Or frae
tion under and another rate for escg additional hsf
ounce or fraction under would be az low IN the opn-
ION Of ths undersigned they could De made consist
emily with the principles above stated
sscosd-Sewspspers. This class has always been
esteemed Of 90 much importance 70 the public, a. the
oest means Of disseminating intelligence generally
among the people that the lowest rate las Awsys been