The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-02-02

REPORT cprnE POSTMASTER GENERAL
We publish TO day the report Of the
h Postmaster Gcnetal.
The revenues OF the Office more than
Iu'lity the predictions ol those Who adyo
Gated the reduction IN the rates OF postage
Ia the last fiscal year, The gross receipt.
were l,31l or, being On Increase o.
SAB lsl on the preceding year, and ex
ceedng by SO 4i5 the annual average O
The nine sears preceding tie Is. OF july
isi5. (whcn the reduced postage welt ~
to operahon,) thus demonstrating iha, un
der The low rate o! postage HE receipts arc
increased.
! he letter poSlnge amounted TO So $50 ;.
30i. excecdIn. lha, Of the previous year
sos. 70l.
The newspaper postage amounted To
S1e7 asA, e.."s .~,~~..~--s~s ssaoAs ia
Tho number OF pos. Offices on Is. Jaiy
! last, was Is l59 beng an increase during
the year of 1913 The number Of ollice,
established was 1909. The number dis
coaiinucd 296.
! 1t is estimated that tie expense Of the
department for the nexiyeat Oneiudug the
sums paid for carrying foreign mails IL
sleamefs) will be S4746 si5 and The re.
ceipts are estimated al So, u ,40i. leaving
an excess OF receipts over expenditures Of
siGl 5G2
Ia view Of these results, the Postmaster
General enters into 90 examination ol the
Inrtlar ,aIurtlpr IA
postage ought to be made, und he arrives
Of the conclusion that II should, and recon.
meuds-
Tha, The rate OF postage on letters be five
cents per hall ounce or less, for oil distances.
That newspapers be weighed, and pay at
tie rate Of enc cen, per ounce.
Periodicals and all other printed matter,
two cents per ounce.
Letters sea, TO foreign countries, fifteen
cenls The half ounce.
The ,oi-l abcl,ion Of the fIauking priv.
l.cce.
The pre- .paymcn, Of The postage on all
letters, new spapers aud other matter seat
by mail.
A change in the term Of the office Of the
Postmaster General, so as to make his ap
poln,men, hold for a number OF years, he
being subject to removal only by impeach-
mem, and The appointment, by him, OF his
principal suLotdlna,es or deputies for like
term Of years. In case oil the removal Of
any subordinate or deputy, the fac, and the
causes Of II 10 be reported 10 the Senate,
The uniform rate of postage will con
mend itself 10 general favor. There is no
reason why a letter carried three hundred
miles should be- charged five cents postage,
whilst letter carried three hundred and
one miles is charged ten cents. The aclu.
al cost of coIrying 10 the latter case may
be, and is often, less than in the former
bu, the cost OF carrying single letter is
not, aud cannot be, the basis ct the charge
upon il. Tho acreage cost is what is 10
bc regarded.
The pre- payment Of postage is good
sug geslion--but II ought not TO be absolute
" required. Ii the rate were three cents
on letters prepaid and FIVE cents on letters
no, pre-. paid, all the advantages 0! the cash
system would be realized by the department,
aud ito actual revenues increased.
10 connection with the proposition to
charge newspapers by weight, Mr.. John
son makes this suggestion:
This would lead TO a discontinuance oil
the practice of deposlting newspapers in the
mails before they are dry. which renders
them more liable to injury, and their weight
is greatly increased from the dampness oil
the paper.
The absurdi'y of this suggestion is so
manifest to any one who has any practical
knowledge Of newspaper printing, that eve
ry one mus, regre, lha. 10 some way or 9th.
or, men who have practical information Of
this matter, and others which their business
gives them, were not connected with the
Ms. Jchnson does not know,
wha, he ought to Rave ascer,ained before
no formally made such suggestion, that
the paper mus, be wet" before il can be
printed upon--iha. the printing is neces'a.