The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-25

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our $4,000 Pcstm lsters. Now If the 5000 Post
masters thirt the number that We have-and
al the CLERKS could attend 70 the duties and
perform the labor OF receiving rating mailing and de-
liverng all our ettes-when reduced 5000 localities
III they could do tit would cost 81 4l0, $50 about
twelve dollars for each thousand letters. But the
local exIens In our Post Office the In Great
Britain wiz 81 30 per 900 letters letter carriers and
be $4s 10 instead Of 81 4lO $50 saving Of about one
million dollars per annum And what would be the To-
cal expenses Of the British Post Office with cumbrous
and expensive way Of doing busnessf We're II to be sup
posed that the inhabitants of Great Britain would write
with our variable and nconvenent rates Of postage
be a. s12 per 32a 7ss and this without letter
carriers letter receivers It may be contended that
In this country and that they have far letters
than we have the expenses are less but
will all this account for three fold dsrencsf viii any
circumstances except the iuctos Of labor attendant
system OF uniformity and simplicity, account for tho
fact that before me uniform rate Of penny,
the local post expenses In Great Britain were
tn an four times great in proportion to the
Der Of letters they have been since and the
dstions 10 the pubic essf In view Of these facts Is
the argument fer uniform rate of postage Of any value
The question Of uniformity of charge, on letters be-
comes question OF high and low rates Of postage; II De-
comes question Of economy, Of profit and Of surplus
that can be Invested In various and much needed i'm
service rates Of postage might at be reduced 80
per cent Many hundred thousand dollars OF annual
now employed with uniformity for basis would suffice
for three or increase u business Our letters
could all be sent through the post at uniform charge Of
two cents and have Post Office we'll supported
IT could be at the rates we now pay
1t must be obvious to every one that the large bn-
siness in the delivery of letters done by the city
express companies, Ii 30 much diverted from the
Post Office revenues. Let us see what our anthor
says Of equitable rates postage in connection with
II here Is any value at all in the argument for uni
form rate OF postage IL as we see clearly there large
economy and great convenience in single rate for all
letters Of the weight If there is simple act OF
justice In charging all our citizens alike for indis
That rate bes Now lift is admitted that no one would
complain were the uniform rate Of letter postage three
cents instead Of II that might be thought low enough
and some tell me they think II isl am prepared to
show that with that rate shall lose Of the largest
advantages that we expect to gain both for the Post
the most profitable branch Of every good postal ys.em
the local circulation in cities and towns. And while all
Of this lucrative traffic Is lost to the postal establishment
the population of large places viii be better
commodated than they are At present. and the want OF
severely felt than any othe postal requirement Private
companies are orgnnized-at least in New York-and
collecting and delivering letters four five mesa day at
two cents letter They find II profitable, they would
not do,it and the people accustomed pay two
for delivery Of their letters for those dropped in
Post office to be called for would be very reluctant to
pay three We're the government TO take all the
OF collecting and delivering letters in cities into the
charge Of the Post oce-as should most anqnestiona-
bly,, be done-and suppress the private companies by
declaring that branch Of postal affairs illegal the
transporting letters through the country by rail coach
II this were done and we had one re.lly good and eli
cien postal system in cities, would be practicable
TO induce the public pay three cents for such
leersS One cent will not pay for collecting sewing
and delivering and if have two cent rate for DROP
city letters and three cents for those that go through
the mails we lose all the advantages the conyenience
and the ecoEomy OF uniformity In postal system.
The amount of business done collecting aud deli
verng letters by private persons in the city OF New
work The two that do he largest business u en
me the following facts and statistics of their operations.
One employs 40 letter carriers has 500 receiving
boxes where letters be deepest ted in various parts of
The city and collects and delivers deposits ia the city
Post Office for the mails from 5000 to 1900 letters
daily. In day-just before election, ! think
there were passed through his hands he tells me- in
collecting and delivering, 1874 900 letters. This the
largest days work he ever did Another party tells
he employs rs letter carriers, $50 Ia his p
vate (c Iost Office Mt 81 each and collects and delivers
an aversge Of 10000 letter, day There are three or
four other private Post onces-perhaps more-in the
city, where boxes rented and ettes receiv handed
out to The persons addressed deposited in the city
Post Office The box rent received by these private Post
Offices amounts to 81 600 $5, 900 year. Now we
take this information as correct-and there Is
sball have In two establishments at least 20 900
letters day. With the private post offices besides,
the humber Of letters collected and delivered or de,
posted in the city Post Office in New York (by private
PARTIES canno, be less altogether than rs 900 daily.
This would make o. 125 0CO letters In year. which, ut
two cents letter amounts 10 less than 1872 500.
Those letters that received by Of these private
parties for delivery into the city Post Office, only
charged cent but when ook at thu extra charge
fr box rents4 year each beides The regular charge
the ietterwe think that these persons with
theis little armies Of private letter carriers receive less
then $3.50 year for their postal services. Whore is
the WISDOM IL may be asked, in enactment Of Con-
gress that declares the carriage Of letters by privae
parties from New York 10 Philadelphia illegal, and
.tes it with heavy penalties and nj the time allows
In five miles long, The ieast discerning must that
this very circulation Of letters in cities is altogether
more especially hereafter under the head Of Letter
Carriers II the government in the exercise Of is
functions claims letter carrying business exclusive
iy its ovD, must attend tn the wants Of the people,
private enterprise will supply the deficiency What
parson can there be between really good system
regular, rapid and prompt letter delivery 10 places like
New York and Philadelphia, ten twelve times day,
one rate OF letter postage for all distances box rents
and simplicity for u bssis-wh comparison can there
be between such system and the irregerty the delay
the expense the extra charges and the uncertainty that
we now have In mixture of public and private poay
So far the circulation Of letters In cities l. concerned
we have choice to put up with the three four dit
Iefent modes Of conveyance and delivery that have,
and all decidedly bad, sweep them gl away by Con
gresc nal enactment aud create good system in their
stead.
When we see the large business tha is done by the
private parties that have sbi ei city pJsts
we consider the mme..e luiaber Of circular letters
erenfs and business announcements that would
go through the pnt provided they convey ed and
delivered rapey and promptly eight or ten times day,
AZ lie low and uniform charge II two cents and the far
greater that would be made Of the Post ONCE 10 let
ter corr'sponcence by the rich veil the poor IL
munersiive than are our present varied rates
Tie rates which Mr. Miles thinks would work
wen in this country are az follows
He uould have all single le.ers-eiters not exceeding
lab ounce Ia veight-rsied AZ two cent- letters
weighing than half ounce, but no. than
ounce four cents and above ths weight reckon by the
and pay attention 70 the hall ounces charging
two hostages for each fraction ~ be-
yoDd the fret How much convenient win rates >,
postage be that through graduation q two, four,
eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty and wentyioar cents
than such irregular set 81 fsies have viz
~, twenty &c, &c II hsd the rates of postage,
opd the uniformity that propose, we should require
just four Concentrations OF postage stamps two, four,
eight, anc twenty four cents, respectively. How UGH
more convenient wouin these b. than hose in use
For all single letters circulars ADD ira nhent papers the
wo cant stamps would be used, ana with the four demo
uatoDs Almost every letter shstever il -ize foreign
oniestc, ctu ld b. paid by or tso stamps. Then
e II fxej principle that everything prepaid
hould be charged just double
ny present rates Of postage, weekly newspapers are
harged IL cents yefr within the State where printed
nd ont Ct the state, 20 cents year These
hat IN Pc. ing postsge quarterly half yearly
he divided rubdivided INTO LET all news
wIa cd to ~ts- t.t.