Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1862-03-05
Mr.. Hutchins' Postage Bill.

Our interchangeable representative has
introduced a bill Ito equalise the rates of
postage, establish q uniform method of
letter ~delivery.in cities and towns, create
apost Office money order system, abolish
the present mode of ranking, provide for
the payment of all government postage
out Of the treasury, and for other pur-
poses"
As its title indicates, tbs bill has many
sections, and provisions, is of very o n
siderable length, and our readers must be
content with a short synopsis describing
its principals features, instead of the bill
itself, and this We give below. Its princi-
pal features are
/. Letter postage (under half ounce as
reduced from three TO two cents, to be
doubled and quadrupled as the letter IN
ereases in weight. If carried over 1900
miles, double these rates
2. Newspapers not exceeding o
ounces in weight are TO pay twenty cents
perannum Quarterly, or more IN advance)
for a weekly, and corresponding rates for
one DIAlllCo O4AGAACA NAAoA hCSnA. DaN
any may, as now, be sent free
from the Office of publication, L any post
Office within the same county.
3. Periodicals weighing over four
ouncesa and less than eight, two cents per
No. and two cents for every four ounces
additional. Whoever saails a package of
thereon the character of the contents
IL A. -. ~ H. -o,,1ar
4. Letters and periodicals not prepaid
ere to be charged double.
D. aPostmasters are allowed to receive
letters and periodicals after the adver-
tised hour for closing the mails, and to
charge extra (iR stamps) therefor.
&. The Postmaster General may author
ize the delivery of letters, &c, by carriers
in every city where the Postmaster's COM
pensation amounts to $4,000 per annum.
No extra charge Is TO made tor such de-
livery.
Z. Letter receivers may be appointed in
different parts of such cities and towns
as the Postmaster General may designate.
Iron l~etter-pillars, for the reception of let
tiers. NAV be setup at discretion. Branch
Post-Ofices NAV be established in. cities
having over 100, 600 inhabitants.
70 Ca IDSId1 OUANAC > W OS HAAAN~~ 0
distributed or sold, under the direction OF
the Postmaster General.
9. A money Order system is provided,
under which a postmaster may receive
sums less than S25, and give an order for
their PAYMENT at such other office and to
such person as may be indicated. The
charge for thus Transmitting SO or under
is five cents over SO and not over sos,
ten cents.
10. The Franking Privilege is abolished
save for the letters of postmasters on Off
cial business; but the postage of the
President and Cabinet, Members OF Con-
Sress, &C., Is TO be paid out of the Treas
uSy.
IL. ,Waybills may be dispensed with at
the discretion of the Postmaster General
70. This act is take effect at the COM
mencement Of the next fiscal year-that
is, on the LIST day of July next.
Our personal experience in the post-Of-
fee of this town, some years ago, taught
us that there was great need of reform
in this department o government service.
Takeforexample, the way bill system
Where a single letter is sent from one
po~st-ofice to another, the postmaster
from whose Office it is sent, makes out
a way bill which accompanies the letter
he then takes account of it in his "Ac-
count of Mails sent" then copies that ac-
count, sending the copy to the General
Post-Ofice at Washington, and retaining
the original. The postmaster. who re-
ceives It, make an entry of it on his "Ae-
count of Mails Received" and then Co
pies that document, retaining one copy
himself, and sending one to the General
Post Office. Thus a single letter is taken
account of, five. different times, and other
parts of the system are but little better.
That part of the bill authorizing the
sending of unpaid letters, and subjecting
them to double postage, We think liable
10 serious objections. Unpaid letters are
nuisances, and business men and all 9TH
ers who are willing to pay their own pos
tage would be forced to pay postage for
those who. are too mean and stingy to pay
for themselves. Besides the large num-
Der ofletters which are not called for,
and taken from the post Offices and are
finally sent to the dead Letter Office" -
all of which are now paid for, there viii
be 4 very large increase of unpaid letters,
Which will be refused by those to whom
Inev are addressed, and for all unpaid
letters sent to the Dead Letter Office, the
Government will receive no postage, but
they will be a total loss. When the
change from the old system Of paid and
unpaid postage, to the prepaid system
yas made. the number of letters sent to
the -9DeadtLster OMce"-from the War
ren. Post Office, was diminished more than
half, and we presume the result was
similar all oven. the United States. We
are decidedly Supposed to any return to
the unpaid letter system, in any shape.
The Money Order System"-wouldI
undoubtedly be a great convenience espe-
cially on routes where here are noexpress
lines. Congress has already taken some
actioni in this direction.
The "BiI" gives evidence .ofgreat labor
and investigation on the part of Mr..
Hutchins, and would in many respects be
a decided improvement upon the old sys-
tenn.
Words of Encouragement.
I'VE are debtors to our brethren of the