New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-12-08
TIE MAIL SERVICE.

TIE MAI. SERVICE.
pcstmaster-Ceueral CASPEELLs Annual Report
e,inces on honest desire TO tie public Interest,
but lacks nerve Il is very plain from the facts EN-.
bodied in this document that the Mail Service has be-
come too expensive and that the Steamship business
Las been entirely oyerdOne; but Alr. Campbell does
not look the matter square in the eye. lie should
have recommended termination Of the Collins CON
tract with the current fiscal year. according to the
stipulation TO that effect in the bill Of 1882 granting
extra compensation. The Bremen, Hayre and Cowes
steamship contracts are humbugs anl should be closed
up as soon as possible The Panama san enormous and
lucrative lob. which should likewise be oyerhauled at
the earliest moment There are but two honest ways
of providing for Ocean Service by Mail Steamers-One
is by advertising for proposals and giving the contract
10 tie lowest bidder; the other to open the whole
business to direct competition by allowing the owners
Of steamships to carry letters on their own hook and
charge as they think right 1t might do to encourage
lie establishment OF line to Shanghai or Africa by
giving Tie contractors monopoly OF letter-carTyng
thi.her for q limited term al stipulated rate but the
rrcscnt system is doomed, and cannot, even by the
most gigantic bribery OF Congress- be upheld much
LONGER TleP Nj General ought 10 have taken the
credit of laying Lis AK at the root of il.
So with regard to the Franking System, which the
head Postmaster lacks the moral courage denOunce.
He talks of the Mail Service costing Two Millions
year more than it produces. Well: suppose every
body were allowed TO load down the Mails with free
matter it would cost Five Millions more yet and why
shouldn't one man lave the righ well as another
We maintain that universal Franking System would
he far more lust and benefcent than the present par
tal system and that it is very wrong TO represent our
Nail Service as costing Two Millions more than it
brings in until the Government shall fairly aud honestly
pay it, own postage just other people pay theirs
There are Three Hundred Members OF Congress now
filing tie Mails with tuns per day of documents which
break down the stage-coaches, AMI stop the trans
poration ofpad-lor letters and journals in the South
and West and thus it that the PostOfiee don't pay
its way Only make everything pay ts fs share, and
stop the enormous sothoes in the bottom Of the Post
Cfice Treasury, and all will come right There is no
need OF rasngany postagerate but sending Judge \.
or Col g., hack load Of documents aud taxing shoe
maker c. or widow DIS letter double 10 order that
these documents may go free of postage Is gross Dus-
tce and ought to be stopped. We shall yet have a
Postmaster General who dares say to Congress.
There is propriety in the P. ~ Generals prOpOsal
that he be clothed with unlimited discretion TO in
crease the allowance iOr cltThlit 10 lOstldteIs ~
distributing Offices. We presume some injustice is
experienced at presents but the discretion asked for
is too great to be confded to any man. An act allow
ing little larger margin for these allowances under
certain circumstances is all that can be reasonably
asked for.
We thank the T. " General for breaking ground
however tpidly against the present system OF exam
ming ard checking tie account OF Postmasers at his
ofico-a most transparent lumbug, which produce:
nothing but expense because it deceiyes nobody Mr
Assist T. NJ. G. Hobbie favored Congress with some
excellent suggestions on this point some years since
but they were never attended to. Now let Mr. Camp
tell draw his bill aud send it TO the PossOiee Com
mitee Of each House that it may be reported and
passed forthwith.
There is one excellent suggestion in the Report
which we heartily seeOnd-tha proposing the exactOI
Of Postage olKcys in advance. This would vastly sim
pity the accounts Of the Department and Improve The
efficiency OF the service and We trust Congress vii
not adjourn without acting on and adopting it.
The Report is unEeason2bly, intolerably long thu
cur comments must necessarily be shoIt-so that there
is 10 great loss without some small gain to com
pensste il.