The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-01-11

SuCN CdSc, Is W SuppOSc IIc pOpuioNOh Va
the South race of such time-servers and
imbeciles as we are not disposed to believe
the inhabitants of any american State to-
be. a.
Rost-Masser Generals Report.
The annual Report Of Postmaster Gene
raj Holt is before us and is = very lengthy
document. If published in the Herald, in
BREWER type, it would occupy not less than
twenty columns, and its publication in this
paper is therefore inexpcdient. ....
But we will give the main points in it,
which are all, indeed, that the public cares
for.
The Report refers to the embarrassing
condition in which Mr.. Holt found the af-
fairs of the Department after the death Of
his predecessor, and to the failure Of the
last Congress to pass the customary appro-
priation for the support of the P. o. De-
partmcnt, by which the Department was
lelt in very bad fix. He mentions also
the efforts of the President and the rcsolu.
ton of the contractors and other officers to
continue at work, upon the faith Of future
Congressional action in their behalf
The total income of the p. o. Depart
ment during the past year, was seven mill
lions nine hundred and sixty eight thousand
four hundred and eighty-four dollars, and
the expenditures during the same time
amounted to the round sum of fifteen mil
lions seven hundred and fifty -four thousand
and ninety-two dollars being an excess Of
expenditure over the income of more than
seven and half millions of dollars.
The deficiency of preceding year which
the last Congress failed to provide for, ex-
cceded four millions, so that now the Post
Office Department is behind-hand about
twelve millions of dollars, and the present
Congress is expected to make the necessary
appropriations to meet this. .....-..
The Postmaster General suggests several
important changes in the present postal
laws. He advocates the abolition of the
franking privilege, and thinks that If that
were accomplished quite an item Of income
would be added to the revenue. ---..
He advocates also the repeal of the act Of
1926, which authorized publishers of news
papers to exchange with each other free Of
postage. This law has now been in oper-
alton some thirty five years, and we believe
no predecessor of Mr.. Holt ever had the
hardihood to assail it as he does. He en-
ters into a long argument against the law
and against the policy Of allowing publish.
ers of newspapers to exchange with each
other free of postage. He is strongly in
favor of compelling them to pay postage for
all exchanges, and thus tax and cucumber
the diffusion of intelligence in very seri-
| ous manner.
He advocates, also, the repeal Of the law
which permits the citizens of counties to
receive their county papers free of postage.
He goes in for making them pay up like
outsiders.
We fear these measures will not do much
to increase our Postmaster Generals popu-
larity.
| He makes some severe and very proper
structures upon the present contracts with
railroads for carrying the msil. These cost
over three millions Of dollars, and charge
from twice to ten times as much per mile as
the railroads in Canada charge the British
government, while the Canada roads fur
nish superior accommodations. Mr.. Holt
thinks that most extravagant allowances
are made to our railroads for the services
they render in carrying mails. and we think
so too. En-.s ran.a,E st ag Gs
He enters into long details Of the foreign
and overland mail services, which are not Of
general interest, and we forbesr to follow
him. 8 va ~~, ~
It win be seen from these facts what is
the present financial condition Of our Post
Office Department, and what aro the views
of Mr.. Holt on some very important mat
ters connected with the general diffusion Of
intelligence. a r
One thing is certain. It would b better
to reduce the extravagant salaries allowed
to many Of the pampered favorites Of that
Department throughout the land and in tho
various cities, than to tax the poor man for
his newspaper, or the poor publisher and
editor for his exchanges, or even - abolish
the ranking privilege. Let these pamPsr-
ed, lazy, and many Of them impudent and
unworthy officials, be cut down in their one,
two, three and four thousand dolar's sala-
ries, and let news and intelligncs cireuaa6s
among the people untaxed. Pisa all bns
Postage in old aristocrstic England b
lower than with US, and yet she derives -
income over and shove expenses from her
postal system, though her people are net
Is generally educated Is ours. The fact is
there b something wrong in our system,
and We bslieve : great part Of that wrong
Hes IA NE extravagant pay bestswed upon
olbccrs and hvorites.
At an event the matter needs looking in-
10 and the people should sec that their in
tercsts do not suffer.-Dubuque Herald.