The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-08

Excess or issues over payments........ SlVJ,sSS
The amount received by postmasters as
fees for the issue Of orders was SIG, 1870.
During the previous fiscal year, ended June
80, 1865. the aggregate amount Of orders
issued was SIG, 197 ,S5S; Of orders paid and
repaid, alG,1lS,5T and of fees, 1924 ,Sl.
The average amount of the moncy-orders
issued during the last year was Sl9 during
the wear 1868 ii was 80, and during the
vcar: 1867 it was 80, showing that there has
been but a slight variation in this amount
for the last three years.
The tendency Of capital towards the CEN
tres OF trade and commerce is well Illus
trated by the operations OF the money-order
system. The smaller Offices almost invaria-
BY issue more orders than they pay, while
ut the larger ones the payments largely cX-
ceed the issues. Upon 4 comparison Of the
money order business in the new States with
that Of the older States like condition OF
things will be found to exist. For example:
IN California, which has ffty-one money
order offices, the number OF mOney-orders
issued was SO, 500, amounting to 81 ,O34, 1873 !;
the number paid was S,6SS, amounting to
1915 .5I4. In massachusetts, which has fifty
four offices, thenumber Of orders issued was
1921, of the aggregate amount OF S963,539;
the number paid was 142 $40, amounting to
&,270,067. In the city OF New York the
payments during the year were %, CO. 500,
while the issues were but $513, 290.
WHY THE DEPARTMENT is NOT SELF
SUSTAINING.
The principal causes operating to prevent
the department from becoming seI-sustaln-
Ing are three-t0-wit
ftrst.-The depreciation of the paper cur
rcncy.
Second.-Unpaid hostages on printed
matter.
lh1rd.-The frauking privilege.
The first is temporary. The second he
proposes to get rid Of by requiring oil pos
tage on printed matter to be paid III ad-
vance. These two evils, he says, doubtless
ought to be corrected. II is possible, how
ever, for the department to endure them
and yet retain fair degree OF efficiency
But The remaining cause of complaint has
become intolerable, and must be removed il
the department is to be saved from utter de-
moralization. The franking privilege has
grown to be al abuse 50 monstrcus that 1t
now threatens the very life of the service.
How NEWSPAPER EDITORS swlEDLE HIN.
The department is defrauded out of a
large amount OF postage on newspapers by
parties who, while protesting to be sending
out papers from known Offices of publlca-
ton to regular and bona ride subscribers,
are, in fact, loading the mails with "spcci-
men" papers and mere business circulars
disguised i'll the form Of newspapers. The
act of March 8, 1868, and the regulations
made in pursuance thereof, require that al
such matter, if sworn through the mailing
office, shall be sent to the office OF delivery,
and that the hostages, whether charged at
newspaper rates or at letter rates by way Of
fine for fraud, shall be collected Ut the office
of delivery. If not paid for and delivered
it often happens that no other disposition OF
this matter can be made than to return it to
the mailing office for the prosecution Of the
offender. The double transit thus en-
couraged is frequently attended with
no result, except that the matter is
left in the office and ultimately sold
for waste paper. For this mischief
there is but one adequate remedy, and
that is to require prepayment Oh all printed
matter. 4 due regard to the convenience
of the publishers Of newspapers would re-
quire that postage on newspapers should be
charged according to the weight of pack
rable reduction on present rates might be
conceded by the department.. To make the
remedy Of prepayment complete it would
be necessary, furthermore, to confer ample
power on postmasters at mailing offices to
open and inspect suspected packages OF
newspapers, and TO impose upon them, II
found to be Vitiated by fraud, full letter
postage. to be paid invariably in advance.
This summary proceeding should not re-
lieve the offender from liability to prosecu.
ton and punishment by the imposition OF
the fine already provided by law.