Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1870-12-09

For -Is gal- ending june b. 1870, The VII d
-.-.-,.. .f,f- r-..g..r,- fs-,-..-.-- A., 8 Do
-.........-.. D,
''-'--'' VI "h'iA A- '-' was
rived from letter postage 90 iaN Tie nuW0eF o.
letters sen, mus. have been 81 least '''''''-
Ofthese something rarc than li.pI'.H0i tounI
.b..- ,-.,., +asI..l letter Hi.e .-.,a r..ts,
IN eFe.E l9',s 'I Hi y i'' 's.'sis ,,-
not dlIei'tl 81 '-' '' "'' fi'i '''
7 IMAM f''''''' 'I "., v'' d." I'D i''
de'l letters e'u'a'''' l"..'f " ''' 'l'
tHlolh'in- u. more nan 'D'
thlhg ABOVE 'hA' sl'" YVES fi.i ''l' , 'N'
per persons III ,.' same "i-. '"g .''a' ~
MAl were OBJ! "'t % l> l'P'i''4' ti'1 '.'e '' "''
thu- 1851 was nearly -i'f' ,'.'' gus" "'''
a. mucn as 'le s''.- i''-7., TO- 90
VINO hal SEM l wrongly. lNts4 -'s' gu, - ,.i''
no" muth more -'.s-1' o'' ''u
ine people VINO use '- I"'s lI-F 'NI' .''7v
Of tAe pl''-o'l-' AFi ''.lsN'' '-e ''' ''-''' %,
nee IT, A. our Iei's's l-'5 ''I.'N N''.
TIE cA-ree % 'eih'u''I, Wa 'AA''.S ~ ''' ~
inc "1o'e t-f's '' ''' az 81 81, 'i.' 81, 81
So "e's -. ''''' N- -'"S ,
10 IN'i " hHe 'h- -l'Ases '"u' l"'' 49,
9"0'''9'' 'he lAc''-e l''' ',' N' '''-'
as huch' o' : 't-,'.''. men &C. '-e' 5''. o.
expense EilhiA .e" year. es2-'''''y u "a
Cres"ei shali succeed A. i'e means t'' "a -'y'-
lshihs 'he il''uAlu5 Pt''' we va '-'9 '' ~. ''
expresses A-'''9e'' ii'e'' ~ ' s-' '' -
saying
e. Nv experience in the administrator of the
post-ltHce department has strengthened NY pre-
viousy expressed conyc.icu @: great abuses
which have grown 10 be pl-t o. the franking syt-
tenn. [ am thoro5shlv -at.-iei ths. If the frauk-
ing privilege were repealed tbe department in a
short time would become selfsusiaining This
assertion has heretofore been Warmly denied
The deficiency for the past year has bcea re
duced TO S2,SlIIlGeo Accurate accounts Of
the cost Of free natter dispatched through the
mails were ordered 10 be kent by all pos.masters
for six months, beginning January Z, aad end
ing June 3Oth last. aud the returns are low
being received Enough il now known to enable
the opinion TO he expressed that the s0t1sl re-
turns will show the actua! cost Of free matter for
the year to he fully equal 90 all deficiencies. The
term during which accounts were kept was con-
fined to the first hsit Of the year, when few cleo
tons were held, and when only small PORTION
Of public documents are transmitted. Should
the amount Of frsnked matter be actually sscer-
tainel during the presidential canvass, and sub
iec;ed to the GANG postage as ike matter sent by
lllhhtt Ah-A' -Ata -Niif t4iN'A AAhN iAAN
average cost per snnum would be greatly en-
HANGED. Ny anxiety to MAKE tie department
self-sustalnlng arises from strong desire 20 re-
duce and to make Uniform rates Of postage.
During 1870 the amount derived from letter
postage was Sl6,1' l,a-0-' 30, and from news
papers GEG pamphlets only SJ5i.So- ~ and
yet the weight sad bulk Of newspaper mails are
at least ten times greater than those Of setter
mails. This shows that whi'e newspapers are
charged much less than the cost OF tasir trans
mission, letters are charged much more, and
that in ainess letters should be reduced IN post
age sool az the finances Of the department
will permit. Il letter postage could be reduced
from three to two cents, am sure that the IN
creased correspondence thereby stimulated would
IN a few years, compensate Tor any temporary
loss of revenue, and that many mistakes and
vexatious delays would he avoided by the uni
form rate for all distances which would thus be
established. But I despair Of securing any
further reduction Of letter postage as long as
the ranking privilege shall be imposed upon
this department"
This reduction Of letter postage to two cents he
would further reduce by introducing the card
system, sending the postage cards for cen t