The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-02
Foreign Postage.


Postmaster-General Randall's admins ira
tion is likely to be distinguished by more i'm
prOvements in the postal service and espe-
cially in the foreign mail department, than the
administration of any of his predecessors. The
reduction of the rates of postage on letters
between this country and Great Britain,
which takes effect on January l, 1868, will be
very important and very acceptable step in
advance. Following up the conclusion of this
arrangement with Great Britain, Mr.. Kasson
is now engaged in making similar improve
ments in our postal service to other countries
OF Europe. This task could not be intrusted
to any one better qualified for it, and we NAV
confidently anticipate the best possible re-
suits from his mission. At present we are
not informed precisely regarding his move
ments, but it is probable that it is in conse-
quence of his presence at Berlin that King
William OF Prussia is about to send an envoy
to the United States to make a new postal
treaty with our Government, as announced on
Monday last by CABLE While these efforts to
improve our Transatlantic mail service are
being made, our Transpacifc mail service is
not neglected. Postmaster-General Randall
has just announced his intention to apply to
congress Tor authority to extend our postal
arrangements with the ports of Japan as fast
as they are opened to the public, and his re-
quest ought to be granted promptly and
cheerfully.
While Mr.. Randall deserves great credit for
his management of the Post Office Department
1t is no reflection upon him to say that our
entire postal arrangements with foreign coun-
tries need revision and amendment. The rates
OF foreign postage are, without exception, too
high. They do not bear any reasonable pro-
portion to the freights on other articles sent bv
the same means over the same routes. They
are entirely wanting in that uniformity and
cheapness which are the best features in the
domestic postal system of all civilized nations
Is 1t not practicable to abandon altogether the
present method of dealing with our foreign
postal arrangements in detail, and to make
one job OF their amendment 1t is the great
merit of our domestic postal system that one
rate (three cents) is charged for all distances
Would not the same plan work well in our
foreign mail servicei
Suppose three cents to be fixed as the
ocean postage to all countries visited by
vessels sailing direct from our ports, would
not this rate pay, in short time, as well as it
now pays within the United States The cost
of carrying letter from New York to any of
the European ports visited by mail steamers
from this country, or from San Francisco to
any similar ports in Japan or China, is less
than the cost Of its transportation from New
York to San Francisco, or even from New York
to St. Louis or Chicago. A six-cent rate would
probably cover all the expenses of mail service
between any port OF the United States and any
of the great ports of Europe or Asia. A nine
cent, or treble rate, would in short time be
sufficient to cover all the expenses of free de-
livery at any point inland, upon letters pass
ing between this country and all countries in
Europe and Asia with which we have direct
postal communication. But whether this esti-
mate be correct or not, it is very desirable that
our Government should deal with our foreign
postal service as a unit and introduce into it
the low and uniform rates which have proved
so beneficial in the domestic postal systems of
nearly every country in Europe.