Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-12-08
WHOLE NO. Psi.

financial results Of the enterprise beg TO refer
to that communication for the special considorn-
to sustain this important national enterprise,
and to express the hope that Congress VIII
COMMITTEES on Post ofices and Post Roads at ths
last session, authorizing an increase OF the ser
vice to semi-monthly trips under the same terms
The excess Of business OF the Department a.
compared with last year, is az foliows Letter car
delivered s417, ,OR2; newspapers delivered b.9f2,-
1a5; letters collected, q, 9,060,8T0; amount paid
carriers, S4,6164S4; postage on local matter, Sl-
During the past year, the salaries OF as.lo1
ment of new ofices and the increase OF salaries
will not, it is thought exceed the appropriation Of
Whole number OF letters received At the Dead
Letter ofice during the year, ,15a go, Of which
tanning money in sums OF 81 or more, amounting
to g. of this amount 81 116 q was deliver
amounting to S. 7ss 30 OF which $. .o5s. n de-
$50 letters contained checks drafts deeds, &C., 70
the nominal value Of sS0z5, 20 90, OF which a.
936, 0.02 was restored; 3126S4 letters were de-
were SNeTsU mi misdirected, s.o1s bad no address
created up to August l. The whole number now
open, 2,706. The number Of domestic money
orders issued ,671 .253, OF aggregate value
of Ss4054. .1s4.7f, an increase OF se, ,e0e, ,1s57s.
Amount OF fees, S235, ,235-6 increase. $o0O4A0:
the money order business, s9O1 SO. The drafts
drawn against credits during the last year were
s4Sps 81 Yae sun q frols M 1ostage 10 he
money order account to enable them TO meet or
ders presented for payment .-..,.,.,,
privilege were repealed the department In short
time would become self-sustaining. Ihi. ~, asssr- E
nciency for the past year has been reduced 70 81
s14116 es An accurate account OF the cost q iree
matter dispatched through the mails was ordered
to be kept by all Postmasters for six months, be-
ginning january and ending June 30 last, Snd re-
to enable an opinion TO be expressed that the ac-
tual returns viii show the actual cost Of iree mat
term during which the account was kept was con-
fined TO the first half OF the year when few eiee-
of the public documents are transmitted. Should
the amount of franked matter be actually ascer-
jected to the same postage as like matter sent by
private persons, 1 am sure that the average cost
to make the department selEsustaininR, arises
from strong desire to reduce and make uni
rived from letter postage was si6,T7i, ,92s: 20,
and from newspapers and pamphlets only syo4.-
paper mails are at least ten times greater than
those Of letter mails. This shows that while news
e arS Letters are charged much more
and in fairness letters should be reduced IN Post,
age az so2n a. tne ,d ~ ~ rsneed from
to cents am sure that the increased correspond
ence thereby stimulated would- In few years
Compensate for any temporary loss Of revenue,
and that many vexatious losses would be avoided
by a uniform rate for all distances winch Woulo
thus be established; but despair OF securing any
further reduction Of letter postage 90 long ~ tne
franlrinR privilege shall be tmDoaed-rPon tnls oo-
Dartueut.Itf not Infended 70 tntimate that tnero
should be an increase OF postage on newspapers.
ON the contrary Il IL the duty Of the government
10 aid in the education Of the people by carrying
newspapers cheaply as possible, and hence am
opinion that the present rates are not too low.
nor do object TO the free transportation OF news
papers to regular Subscribers In the counties OF
their publication. As now authorized by law,
their CONVEYANCE without charge does not inter
fere with the speedy and regular trannmieaion OF
the mails There IL but one change that Deem
Advisable in the treatment OF newspapers, and
that applies only to those sent 70 points outside
OF the county where published would require
postage on printed matter in all cases 20 be pre-
paid BY stamps The law allowing postage 70 be
paid IN money by Subscribers at the once OF oeS
livery Is q departure from the accepted theory OF
Post once management. and only subjects tns
department to heavy Losses.
1he Postmaster General earnestly recommenos
the adoption early In the session OF Congress, OF
the bill introduced by M Farnsworth, TO revise,
consolidate and amend the statutes relating 70
the Post once Department, -.
The new postage regulattons and the aecnmn-
Iation OF copper and nickel coins In Post Omces,
receive some attention In the report He rcspeot,
fully recommends the establishmeut Of the Postai
card system, OF which 80 much has been snlo ana
advocates Il by the usual arguments: he eovlses
that the rate be hxed at one cent incudne eost ot
card as . FIRST step toward general reoueuon u
letter postage