The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-17
CIRCULAR.

CIRCULAR.
To each Friend Of Chap PoSi0g. m The United States
SIR: The New York Cheap Postage Associa-
ton request your immediate attention these few
hints, in relation to public object of great mo-
ment which is in situation to require your in
dividual and earnest attention.
The Report of the Postmaster General has dis
appointed the friends of Cheap Postage. With a
most prosperous condition of the Department
with rapid increase of business; with an income
of So $50, 1872 from letters alone, and SSl9,0l6
from newspapers; with n clear surplus in hand of
sG9l $50, which will be increased by the 30ih OF
June to 81 033, 40 and with the people expecting
the adoption of proper system of Cheap Postage,
he only recommends reduction to uniform rate
Of five cents per half-ounce
On the great mass of letters this is no reduc-
ton at all On calculation, which is certainly
large, he supposes it may reduce the revenue
$4,000, which will not nearly absorb the sur
plus But if il should have the effect which all
other reductions of rate have had, The Increase OF
letters mW more than compensate for he Toner price,
and ke.p mp The reUsHHs 10 as present mark
The expense Of transportation Of the mail in
this country is g., ST. ,I07 and in Great Britain
it is 81 800 ,763, which shows that we can carry
letters rs cheaply as England. The whole cost of
our Post Office is 81, 40 0i9; Of the British,
S7,0l6 $50, which is all pail bV The Penay Postage.
Our 81 millions of people, with the same privi-
lege, would write many letters in proportion ms
their 81 millions, which would give us 270 mil.
lions to their 3l6 millions At the lowest calcula-
ton, Cheap Postage would more than double the
number of letters the very first year. IL did so
in England, where the weekly number of letters
which in 1910 was 2, l02, 2Sl, became 3j5 237 ia
1871. This would give los millions, yielding
~, 600 the very first year. The postage OF
Congress il charged at present rates the POST
master General says, would amount to S792 100,
besides what is paid 10 Posmasters for delivering
free letters, Mt two cents each, amounting to near
ly 500 600 more, all which Congress ought TO pay
out of its contingent fund To this add $3.50 900
for newspaper postage and you have a, 222 zoo
Then let the expense Of the Ocean Steamers be
transferred, as it ought, to the Navy account
There can he no doubt that, by the time the sur
plus now ON hand is exhausted, the vigorous in.
crease of postage would enable the Department
to support itself out Of its current receipts.
Five cents is not "Cheap Postage" This is n
technical term, well understood, and is applied to
the philosophical system invented by Rowland
fIill and which has been in use in England for
ten years Penny Postage, or two cents, is what
all mean by Cheap Postage-carrying letters for
what it is worth and not taxing letters TO pay for
other objects. The experiment in Great Britain
proves that the service can be afforded for two
cents, and therefore that is the only just measure
of its value-money's worth for the service per-
formed.
WHAr is TO BE DONE ABOUT Ir7 IL is very evil
dent hat something must be done, or We shall not
have IT, Providence never intended that free
people should obtain 80 great boon without an
effort Cheap Postage is for the people" and II
the people ish for il they must say 40
w hat then shall be done about it IL something
il to be done somebody must do il. Whose bust