The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-02

ESScSS VI IeCeIpts oPSl SApGIfultuTeH Del0E
the amount Of revenue derived from the
transaction Of the money-order business.
800, 114.63.
The magnitude Of the operations Of the
money-ordcr system is we'll illustrated by
the statement That at the city Of New York
alone the orders Issued during tho last year
amounted TO $3.50. oS9 50; The orders paid.
10 S3,S1l ,5l6.i! the remiitan"cs received
from poStm1stcrS. to $5.9S1 ,*SS; and the
drafts Of postmis'crS paid, to s., i3o, 1Sl.
FRAMING PRIVILEGE.
In my annual report of December. 1869,
and in my letter dated February &c, 1870.
addressed 10 Hon. Schuyler Colax. In reply
10 two resolutions OF the Senate asking for
information. | had the honor to present my
views at length concerning the ranking
privilege. In both those communications
| argued against the longer continuance of
thai evil, and earnestly recommended its
immediate and absolute repeal. My cxpe-
ricnce III the administration Of the Post
Office Department for the past year has
strengthened my convictions, and has in
ducc0 me again to call the attention Of Con-
GreSS to the great abuses which have grown
10 be a part OF the system. and TO the
uncompcnsa!cd burdens which il imposes
upon the service. ! am. thoroughly sat
i>iied that if the tranklng privilege were re-
PEAKED. and nil matter passing through the
mails charged with its fair share Of postage,
the Department would in 4 short time be-
come Seli-Su>taining. This assertion, when
made heretofore, was warmly denied, and
nothing WAS lett but a IeSort to a demon
s~tration by figures. As has been already
stated, the deficiency for the last year has
been reduced to s, Sl4,1tG.9S. Accurate
accounts OF the cost of free matter dis
! patched through the mails We're ordered to
be kept by all p">tmaStcrs for the six
months beginning 1st of January and end
ing Goth OF June last, and the returns which
have been received are now being arranged
and tahulated for submission to Congress. |
regret that owing to numerous inaccurate
and incomplete returns, and the failure of
many postmasters to make any report, it has
been impossible, with the limited number of
clerks employed in the Department., to
present the results il detail with this re-
port. Enough is known. however. to ell
able those who are most familiar with the
work to express the opinion that the &C.
tual returns will show the aggregate cost OF
free matter for The year to be fully equal to
the aforementioned deficiency. The term
durin" which accounts were kept was con-
fined TO the first half Of the year, when few
elections were held, and when only a small
portion of the public documents are trans
mittcd. Should the amount of franked
matter be accurately aScertained during a
Presidential canvass, and subjected to the
postage charged upon other like matter
sent by private individuals, [ am convinced
that the average cost per annllm would be
greatly enhanced.
My anxiety TO make the Department SELF
sustaining arises from q strong desire to re.
duce, equalize, and make uniform the rates
| &c ,,n.fIn, tltlrinr Tho ynnr 1870 fhc
amount derived from letter postage wa
SIC IL ,29S..0, and the amount from news.
papers and pamphlets was only 1884 ,3532 80
and vet the weight and bulk of newspaper
mails are at least nine or ten times greater
than those OF letter mails. This shows that
while newspapers are charged much less
than the cost of their manipulation ant
transmission. letters are charged much
more, "nd that the postage on letters should
in fairness be reduced rs soon Gstiie finances
Of the Department will permit. If letter
postage could be reduced from 3 to 9 cents,
! Lam sure that the increased correspondence
thereby stimulated would in 4 few year
| compensate Tor arl temporary loss Of reyc.
nue., and that ma..y mistakes and vekatiou:
! DELAYS would he avoided lay the Uniform
rate for all distances which would thus be
established. | despair. however. Of Sc
curing any furtherreducticu of letter post
aye as long as the lranking privilege shal
be permitted to impose upon the Depart.
ment Ali irrumc0iabic deficiency.
it i not intended to intimate that there
should lac al increase OF hostage on news
papers. OH the contrary. ii Is the duty of
lho Government, as part OF its work oil
beneiicieucc, to aid in the education ant
elevation Of the people by carrying news
papers as cheaply as possible {: and hence
i am OF opinion that the present rates are
not too low. Nor do l object to the FIRE,
transportation Of newspapers TO regular
subscribers il the counties Of their publ
cation, rs now authorized by law. Iheii
conveyance without charge does not inter
mission of the mails. They are usual,
dispatched at the county towns. and
always stop within the boundaries o
!; their own countic>, They are SO evenly
t distributed OVER the whole country tha
practically they cause no Inconvenience. o
injury. or delay. There is but one chang
that / deem desirable in the treatment o
newspapers. and that applies only to thos'
sent to points outside the counties Of thei
publication. | would require the postag,
on printed matter, in all cases. to be pre-
paid by stamps. The law allowing tn
hostage to be paid in money bv the sui
lcribers at the Office Of delivery is Il dcpal
ture from the accepted theory OF poSt-oilic
management, and subjects the Department
to heavy losses.
CORRESPONDENTS ARDS.
My attention has been directed to tn
; new system of " correspondence or "pc'
card" lately adopted By North German
and by Great Britain for facilitating lette
: correspondence, and already eXtcnSirel
/. used in those countries. These cards III
made Of good. still paper, OF convenie1