Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-12-15
4ost Of6ts Afams,
POSTAL REFORMS.

POSTAL HEFOHMs.
Among the many subjects which come di.
rectly home TO every one, and which are Of
very great Importance to many, we may class
a cheap and secure system of postage. Our
readers may recall that we have frequently OF
late had occasion to direct their attention to
the fact, that on almost Incredible degree of
carelessness, if not dishonesty appears to
prevail in many post-offices in this country,
that advertisements for the loss OF letters
containing valuable enclosures, are of almost
daily occurrence, and that it was but the day
before yesterday, December a, that our edi-
torial column contained q reference TO a val
liable enclosure which, by mistake, had been
sent from New York to Chicago.
In recently published pamphlet entitled,
Postal Reform, by Pliny Miles, we have all
the abuses and defects existent in the present
postal system brought together. with sug-
gestions for their reform. Its author appears
to have enjoyed great facilities for mastering
his subject, and has as evidently expended
much time and unwearied industry on the
matter. The result of his researches has been
to prove that if its magnitude be taken into
consideration, we have, beyond question, the
worst established, worst regulated, and most
extravagant postal system in the world. We
have the most ridiculous license in franking
granted to government officers. Millions, as
our pamphlet observes, are spent annually In
printing books and reports of which not more
than one-tenth are of anyutility, or even read,
and heavy sums are also paid out to pass
these through the mails, and while the people
who get books and documents are tiattering
themselves that they come free, they actually
pay nearly three millions year for their
transportation, in direct tax on their cor
respondeuce. To such an extent is this alb
surd franking of what is to most Of its recipi-
ents useless matter, carried that were its ex-
penses deducted we should save one-third Of
the present postal reforms, or have our letters
carried for one-third less.
An extraordinary delusion seems to exist
in our country of regarding government rs au
authority independent of and superior to the
people, instead of its being the result of the
peoples will, and subservient to it. The
feeling would be natural enough for one who
was born foreigner, but the fact that q
native can yield TO 1t is curious instance ol
the difficulty which most men find in master
ing rudimentary facts. Nowhere is this
more plainly manifested than in postal rates
Our letters are carried so much cheaper thar
they once were that We still feel most absurd
ly grateful to government" for the reduction
never rejecting that it depends only on ou
own will to establish an uniform rate OF pos
tage at cent letter if we choose, and no ont
TO thank for it but ourselves. Were th'
franked matter paid for---or only such por
tion OF it as is really required by recipients
the remainder being suppressed, and wer'
the present rate of postage diminished evei
t,Co- thirds, there can be no doubt that, er,
long, instead of deficiency in the post offic
revenue, we should have a surplus.
1t is almost painful to trace in the pam
phlet before us the absurdities, the extrava
gauce and the carelessness which prevails
owing to bad system in our American pos
tai arrangements. -Four millions of letter
annually, or about one in thirty, fail to reac
their address, "and this independent of al
that are lost through mail robberes, food
fire, waste paper mills (D and other acci
dents" 1t is true that we have larg
floating population, and that many othe
causes may be alleged why many letter
should be lost but no reason exists which cal
excuse or extenuate snch fearful proportion
Of loss. One reason for this is, that unles
letter when opened in the Dead Lette
Office is found to contain an enclosure, NJ
attention is paid to it aud it is burned
About 100000 in money and S2,000,O00 ii
drafts. bills, &C., are annually taken from
American dead letters. But as Mr.. Mile
jutimates, those letters which do not contain
enclosures, il properly estimated, are probabl
Of l1r u1ore consequence than the money doc
Enents, and these are all destroyed. In ou
way of returning dead letters, every one ha
10 go through seventeen processes, super
acriptions and entries. Thirty letters da
Tor dead letter clerk in Washington
considered good days work, while in Eng
land these matters are so smplifed that eac
l..
Miles shows that the expense CT returning a
the dead letters would not average eel
to n person in the United States, and no or
would deny that if the question could
brought heme to the people they would wi
lingly pay much more.
But it is needless to pursue our presel
system further through all its abuses, a
surdties and mistakes. The matter is begi
ming to excite general attention, and will b
fore long be more thoroughly reformed thf
il has ever before been. Meanwhile there
one element which underlies the whole ma
ter, and which is of such Importance that
cannot be kept too wildly before the peopl
1t is the improved social and moral etfe
resulting from extended social correspon
ence. Everything which tends to make m;
acquainted with man-which renders know
edge common to all, tends to strengthen o
social system, and to enlighten the commul
ty-Correspondence by letter is an impe
tant part of the bringing and binding togeth
so very important that if we were to pa
every letter gratis through the post-absu
as it may sound-the result would be ber
6cial beyond calculation, and well worth
indirect and general contribution from otf
sources. Letters, the press and the telegra
are to the mind and to the head work
practical business, what railroads and stea
boats are to its Material or physical porto
things of which it is impossible to have
superfuity, things which contribute to tn
own growth and to that of all prosperi
whether bodily or intellectual. In the VOL
ofDr. Charming, as most appropriately quot
by Mr.. Miles, "Such Importance do we alta
TO the freest communication with all parts
the country-so much do we desire that
poor as well as the rich may enjoy the met
Of intercourse-that we would sooner hi
the Post Office tax on the revenue IL
one of its sources. s."-Phiia. Bulletin.
CO.