The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-22
Reduction OF Postage.


We yesterday described the bills of the Post
Office Committee of the House of Representa-
tives, and Of the minority Of that committee
These two bills comprise the only schemes that
have been formally brought before the public,
and we purpose examining them briefly.
Are the present charges for conveying letters
too high2 This question is answered atfirma-
lively by both reports, and in them review OF
the English and American post offices demon
strates the pecuniary advantages to the De
partment of low rates Of charges. The reduc-
ton of postage in England 10 uniform charge
of one penny has augmented the revenues and
enhanced the efficiency of the Department.
The reduction made in this country, in 1915,
by which five and ten cents were substituted
for the various charges from g.. to %, was at
tended with like results.
But may these two nations not have re-
spectively reached the lowest practicable
points We do not know but since the
English rate works well /; since the Eng
fish people are satisfied with it, and since
the people of this country desire the adop-
ton Of that standard, and nothing less, it APP
pears that little more is needed than to ascer-
tain whether there are any peculiar circum-
stances that render the management and trans
mission ofthe mails more expensive here than in
England. In view of the general facts that
our territory is wide and our population sparse,
an affirmative reply may be readily inferred
and yet it may be erroneous. The minority
report above referred TO supplies us with some
facts bearing on this branch of the subject.
According TO the best information it says,
"the cost of the transportation of the mails, in
8 1913, notwithstanding the extent of country
over which they are conveyed, exclusive Of
territories was not ten per cent. greater than
that of Great Britain, the difference for that
year amounting only to S2lS,793. One OBJ
vious reason for this is to be found in the fact
that, in many instances, our mails are con-
veyed on rivers and lakes, which are extern
svely navigated in commercial pursuits, thus
affording great facilities for procuring this SER
vice at much lower rate than it can be OBJ
'tained of railroad companies. If the cost Of
carrying our mails ,cere ten per cent. greater,
the management of our Post Office is much
less, as will appear from the following state
ment:
''The cost of the management Of the British
post office, in lS49, was............ S7,0l6.250
'Ditto of the United States in lS49 4,479, 049
LESS than that Of Great Britain. 81, 537 ,2ll
These facts" the report continues, care
founded on official returns, and therefore,
we would ask, what force is there in the OBJ
lection that Eve cannot sustain the Post Of
flee Department with as cheap postage as is
now charged in Great Brtain2'r
This does not, in our opinion, altogether do
away with the doubt but when we add that
the ratio OF increase in the receipts to the dim
mutton in rates that has been realized in Eng
land, would swell the income of our Depart
mont to a sum greatly exceeding its expenses,
we regard the problem as satisfactorily solved.
And to this may be added another important
fact bearing on the subject, viz: that, in le45,
the number of letters passing through our post
offices was about 2l,O00,0O0. In lS49, il
was 81 ,000, 000-more than two and hall
times as many. What the increase would
have been without the reduction in price, we
know not; but no one supposes that, if ascer-
tanned, it could seriously impair the strength OF
the position, that diminished rates had caused
this great increase in correspondence.
SO far as we have its light, then, experience
warrants the belief that, in financial point Of
view, further reduction may be made without
hazarding the interests Of the Department.
We refrain from making any remarks upon
the social, moral, intellectual, and commercial
benefits likely TO result from such an accommo-
dation, because they have been well enough
comprehended by the masses Of the American
people TO determine their minds in favor Of the
proposed reduction.
The reasons assigned in the minority report
Cor insisting upon charge of two cents, are
first, that this is what is demanded by all me-
morialisis on the subject secondly, that il is
believed 10 be adequate to the purposes of reve-
nue.; and thirdly, that ii is better adapted tC
our currency than three, which is not an ali
quot part of any Of our present coins. These
reasons are in our judgment sufficient.
The adoption Of uniform rate, without re.
ference to distances, may at first appear incom-
patible with strict equity; yet, when it is
remembered that the patriotic impulses Of every
true American would lead him to bring as
closely together as possible, in kind intercourse
all the people Of our widespread domain
to enable our Government, in Its just paternal
relation, to gather them "even as hen gath
ereth her chckensv-there will be urged nc
objection to this measure.
Touching the distinction between paid and
unpaid letters, the minority committee remark
that it would mulct tho innocent receiver Of a
letter in penalty Of five cents, Gin conse-
quence Of the neglect or impertnence of the
sender!" This would certainly be the effec
Of such discrimination.
Prepayment is, in our opinion, essential TO .