The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1850-11-27

Cheap Postage.


We notice that many of our cotemporo.
ries are agitating this subject, with a view
to preparing the public mind for acting m
on /! Understandings before the mcetinC of
Congress i'll December. Our own opinion
is, that further reduction in our already
cheap rates oil postage, as compared with
what they were prior 10 the late reduction.
IS not only practicable, but called for bv
the pubic wishes and interests. In con.
sequence Of the large emigration from the
Old tothe newer States, and the constant
and rapidly increasing communication be-
tween these sections Of the Union. wa
think the West is peculiarly interested IN
the reduction Of rates. The only obiec.
tons that can be urged against it. are that
it may teld to cuTtail our mail facilities
prevent the increase of mail routes and Dost
offices, as the population increases. and
render the carrying Of the mail, less GER
tain aud secure. It is not probable that
any one of these objections can be sustain.
ed The Department was hardly ever So
prosperous as at present. and the mails
were never more regularly delivered than
since the reduction OF postage in 1916. al.
though there is often Just cause Of complaint
even now OF the carelessuess and want
Of punctuality on the part of those en-
gagged i'll its transportation and delivery.
But these causes of complaint do not ar
| rise from the low rates OF postage. On the
contrary, the funds for the DISCHARGE OF
the expenses Incurred by the department.
are ample under the new system while uu-
der the old they were often deficient. Iu
the four years from 1910 TO 1913, inclusive
under the high rates, the average annual
excess Of expenditures over the receipts,
was 8 142 OOO In the past year, 1919,
Under the low rates, the receipts exceeded
the expenditures ard there remained un-
expended the sum Of S69e,6 derived from
postage upon letters and other matter car
ried by the mails, although the extent of
the mail routes had been increased 23,763
miles and the annual transportation OF the
mails 5000 800 miles. The revinue for
the last year exceeded that of any former
years $4,000.
One effect of the reduction Of postage
+. has been to increase, the number of letters
carried, and this is an important and valu-
able consideration, as nothing tends so
: much as this to harmonic the conflicting
! interests Of the serveral parts our country
!. by keeping up a constant social inter-
e change of sentiment and kindly feeling be-
tween the people Of remote sections. At
y first sight, the casual observer would find
- it difficult to realize that reduction oil
y five or ten cents upon the cost of carrying
r each letter placed in the mails. would have
!. the effect to increase the number sent
n Yet such has been the case. Ia 1913, un-
der the high rates, there were twenty-four
n millions of letters sent by mail to all
parts Of the Union. 1u in 1849, under low
- rates, the number had increased nearly
= three fold, being no less than seventy mill
- ions!
=. The the friends of farther reduction to
- two or three cents upon all letters without
- regard to distance, argue that this would
so increase the number of letters sent BY
~ mail, that the revinue itself would be in
% creased. 1t is believed this would be
? found to BE The case. In England, where
postage is greatly lower than here, such q
result has been produced Besides this; the
- the increased facilities for carving the
:. mail by railroad and other we'll construc
, ted roads, steamboats,, &c, has had the eff
i ect to cheaper the cost of transportation
so that the department. is constantly sue
ceeding in reducing the price of contrac
=, for carriage in all parts of the Union.
AS there can be little doubt that cheap
=, er rate of postage would not diminish tin
=. receipts, nor by the consequent increase @
- mail matter to be carried, increase the COS
II Of transportation for any length Of time, al
-, ter the new system of postage should G
IL into operation, we give our voice for tn
' reduction, in the belief that the people ev
cry where. and particularly in the wester
81 aud southwestern States, would be latgel
w benefited by the change.