Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-12-27

income does not exceed $4,000 per an
mum. The proportion of these free pa.
pers delivered by postmasters Of 90, 900
income will not exceed one tenth. Two
cents each on the foregoing number de-
Quoting one.ten,h was s95,l6l, which
is actually paid to postmasters for de-
livering this free matter, out of money
received for letter postage. Thus it
appears tina. for the delivery of nine
ten,hs of the millions of printed speech
es ranked and transported in the mail,
without compensation, (tbe printing Of
which cost about one cent each) there
is paid two cents each, not by the per-
son who sends or by the person who
receives it, or by the country as for a
public service. but by those who pay
postage on their private correspon-
dence. Congress ought TO decide
whether this franking by its members
is valuable public service proper to
continue; and it is not intended to make
any remark on that topic. Were il
abolished, there would probably be
very much less of such matter printed
But the postage on the remainder, to-
gether with that on the correspondence
ofthe members and the relief ofthe ex.
pense of.he transportation and delivery
of this franked matter would enable the
Departments 10 sustain itself, though the
postage were materially reduced on let.
ters. But if Congress continues this
Thanking as valuable pnblic service. il
is but just and proper that the letter
correspondence, by reduction on iti
postage, be relieved from its support,
and that provisions be made therefor in
the same manner that other branches oil
public service is sustained.
Another great additional demand of
public service by the Post Office De.
partment without compensation is made
this year-that is the transmission OF
all the blanks, returns, and correspon.
dence required in taking the census OF
1910. Three thousand reams of these
blanks are already engaged.
Ii has been said that the newspaper
and pamphlet postage is not in proper.
ton to the cost of their transportation;
but it is not 10 be therefore understood
that any increase Of that postage is pro.
posed. 1t has long been regarded as
sound public policy to promote the cir.
culation of these publications by cheap
postage, and it may be advisable to pro-
coed further in this policy, especially
in promoting their circulation in the
vicinity of their places Of publication
provided no decided injustice be done
TO the postmasters within that same vi
entity.
1t would be desirable to have q fixed
sum granted from the Treasury for thil
public service as TO free matter, and
then the postage SO reduced and arran
ged as to provide for the remainder;
but that course is impracticable, as the
money from the Treasury cannot be
drawn until that from postage is first ex
hausted and therefore the only safe way
is to make reductions of postage from
time TO time until justice is produced
by leaving balance TO be annual,
drawn from the Treasury equivalen
to the public service performed. Ant
no extent of reduction which does no
produce this effect is sufficient so lonl
as public service is required to be per
formed free of postage.
What should be the degree or meas
ure Of the reduction of postage at .hi
time is entirely question to be seitle'
by Congress; but it is proposed res
pectfully to submit what would be tn
probable effect of one measure Of re
duction.
, The most obvious and prominen
feature now in our postage is the dou
BILE price, ten cents charged on all singl
letters carried over three hundred mile
} The reduction Of this ten cent postag
, and charging all single letters at cen,
each, would much simplify the name
of accounting, and render the sam
both more facile and perfect-woul
remove the dissatisfaction arising frol
the great difierence.in the postage in di
!, ferent Offices, even in the same vicinit,