The Portland daily press., 1869-12-24

Mr.. CresswelPs substitute for the frankino
privilege as embodied in the draft of a hill
submitted to the Post-office committee of the
House, would not, in our opinion. be a CHANCE
for the better. That bill proposes appropria-
lions for postage stamps to be placed at the
disposal of various officers of the govern
ment as follows: For the President $4,000,
Department of State $4,000, Treasury De.
partment $250,000, War Department $25O,OoO.
Navy Department 100000, Post Office De-
partment $25o,OOO, Attorney Generals Office
$lO,Ooo, Department of the Interior $3.50, 900.
Total for the executive departments, $1,17O,-
OoO. In addition thereto the bill proposes
$4,000 each for the Clerk of the House and
secretary OF the Senate, leaving to the two
houses to specify the amount for Sen
ators and Representatives. The franking
privilege is not necessarily nuisance. With
IN proper limitations it would be real adj
vantage, but its abuses, and the abuses Incl
osntally connected with and growing out of
1t renders it Objectionable and proper sub
Ject Tor correction and reform. But what
propriety is there in abolishing it altogether?
olnnot it be reformed without doing away
with the manifest advantages CONSEQUENT mr.
on its proper use?,
The official correspondence of the vor;o,,.
departments of the government is immense
Can any plan superior to "franking" be de-
vised for getting it through the mails? Is
not the furnishing OF an immense amount of
postage stamps the same thing in effect but
requiring more labor and more expense +?
And then if Congress is to say how manv
stamps each member shall be entitled TO-
what prospect is there that thew will
stint themselves in the supply. IF
any change is to be made, let it be change
for the better and not for the worse-a change
that will correct defects and check excuses.
leaving whatever is good to remain. Let
communications to and from the departments
upon business purely official be permitted to
pass through the mails under the frank of the
proper offlcer Let members of Congress-
frank thelr own letters, but prohibit them
from franking other peoples. Let sneacbes
delivered by them in Congress and n,jnted nj
their own expense be privileged to mass 70
their constituents free. Let Communicative
from the people to the President, Vice Presi-
dent, Heads of Departments, and members of
Congress be exempt, but find some way of
Stopping the free transportation of car loads
OF patent office reports and other public docu-
ments printed at immense expense and cost
ing more for transportation in single week
than the carriage of all the written commu-
nicatlons above mentioned would cost for an
entire year.
Everybody agrees that the greatest detri-
ment to the postal service arising from this |
ranking of books printed at government ex-
pense. Let that be checked or stopped en-
tireiy, and an immediate saving of no incon-
siderable amount will at once be effected in |
Inc cost OF carrying the mails. This will |
perhaps nc great enough to enable that branch
OF the service to pay its own way. When the
law forbids their free passage tbroupb tho
mails the demand Tor them will rapidlv do
cline and the amount saved in PRINTING r;u
be vastly in excess of the amount saved in
We may be in error, but verify believe that
If the amount of printing done by Govern
ment in the shape of books and documents of /
little value was limited Or stopped altogether,
hat the post-ofice department would be self |
ustaining, and the greatest abuse of the
ranking privilege be done away.