New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-22
WHsT FRAMING COSTS THE PEOPLE.


WHIT FRAMING COSTS THE PEOPLE.
The Franking Privilege is frequently alluded
| 70. though never searchingly discussed, In Con
gress. Members are apt to speak OF 1t as
though it were trihing matter involving
nothing more than the payment or non-pay-
ment of Postage to an inconsideraDle amount
Let us endeavOr tersely to show them wherein
they are mistaken, by indicating some OF the
points at which the Franking Privilege is at
war with the public veal:
/. Complication of Account.-lf the trans
portatiOn of every thing deposited in the Mails
were paid for on such deposit, the accounts OF
the Department with the several post Offices
would be immensely simplifed. The day ought
to be Mt hand when every cart-load OF news
papers taken to q post-Office for Transmission
shall BIO weighed on its receipt, tare deducted
for the bags, and the proper postage
paid on the residue at once. Let there be
one fixed rate for letters and manuscripts
of all kinds and another for printed matter OF
all kinds, inexorably exacted and paid in adj
vance, and there need not be tenth of the
bookkeeping, nor could there be twentieth OF
the embezzlement, that there now is. The most
cumbrous machinery of checks and balances
avals nothing at present to detect inadequate
returns by rural post-masters-how could IT,
when their receipts are tumble of payments
for stamps, postage on newspapers received,
hostage on letters unstamped, payments for
letter envelopes, postage on magazines, docu-
ments, Sci Every letter, and every document
mailed otherwise than by its publishers, should
bear stamp; every letter should be inclosed
in stamped envelope, such as is now too
rarely employed. Simplicity and uniformity of
postage are nearly as important as cheapness.
If all printed matter were paid in advance at
half the average of the present rates, the net in
come therefrom would be more than it now Is.
III. Punctuality in Transmission and DELHI
eru-Herein, Franking is the determining
cause of great injustice and evil Let us ex-
plain:
When the inland terminus of a railroad is
reached, the Mails are transferred to stages,
wagons, and saddle-bags. During the month
of December, the roads of the far interior are
apt to be in the condition indicated by the Nir-
GINA stage driver, who, in answer to an inquiry,
ayerred that there was "only one mud-hOle
/" from Lunenburg Court House to Petersburg"
(Gj miles)-that mud-hoe extending all the
way. Heavy frost, snow, sleet, as well
as cOpious rains combine to render
the going intolerable. The train stops; the
mail bags are tumbled out the stage-driver
shoulders them, lifts them into his go-cart, and
drives Off-to the tavern or stable-where he
overhauls and sits them. Here il the letter
bag, light and poitable-of course, that must go
on. But there are five or six passengers,
hans nf NH ulyad
Washington by the newly arrived members
two of WEEKLY TRIBUNEs, and one Of other
papers: the mud is from one to three feet
deep, stifiened by frost and ice so he
can't think of piling all this load
on his sorry hacks, for he knows they
could not draw it. The passengers and letters
can't wait; the newspapers and Pub. Doc"
can't help themselves so they are chucked
aside to await better going. They may get on
next month they may have to wait for the
settling of the roads next Spring; meantime,
our subscribers are furious at the nOn-receipt
of the papers they have paid for, and savagely
write us to know if we mean to cheat
them out of money and papers both. If Con-
gress wants to conceal its doings from the
masses, it should hold on to the Franking
Privilege.
III. Hdnking stimulates Printing at the pub
lie cOst.-Year by year, the cost of Public
Printing increases, in spite of strong efforts by
the Committees on Printing to keep it down
Printer Clapp reports that he must have Halt
Million Dollars more this year than was
! allowed him last year. The vast sums paid
for printing and transmitting these thousands
of tuns of" Pub. Doc" are paid by the many
while the resulting advantage Gf advantage
there be- enures to the few.
| Our business, our livelihood, are directly
struck at by this jobbery. We have faithfully
devoted a lifetime to perfecting ourselves in
the art of collecting, preparing, and printing
what the people ought to buy and read. We
live by this respected and useful calling. But
the Government sets up shop in opposition
to ours, and taxes us to support it, while
| it floods the country from that shoI
with intelligence which it not only gives
away but delivers to recipients in Minnesota
and Oregon free of cost TO them-that Is to say
at our cost. This is MT doing the fair thinl
by us I; and, il it were legal instead of editorial
service that was thus furnished at public cos,
TO favored minority, the lawyers In Congress
would comprehend it,
w. Members tell the public that the Frank
] ing Privilege 10 no benefit TO them. but r,,he.