The true northerner., 1873-11-28
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
Synopsis OF the Report or the Postn,as-
ter-tieneral-A Plan for the Prepay
ment OF Newspaper Postage-The Pro-
posed Postal Savings Banks and Telc-
graph.

The following is a synopsis of the annual
report Of Postmaster-General Creswell;
The ordinary revenues Of this Department
| for the fiscal year ended June 80 1873 were
S22 906, TAI, and the expenditure of all kinds
S290S4, 945. For the year ended June 80.
1872, the ordinary revenues were s21 9l5 1876
and the expenditures SAG. .65S, 1872 In 1873
there was all increase Of revenue over 1872 OF
fl OSl, ,313. or 4. 9S per cent, and an increase
OF expenditures OF ~, 426, 1853. or $40 per
cent comparison OF 1873 with 1871 shows
an increase in the revenues OF 81 959, 696, or
14.42 per cent, and al increase of expend-
lures of "a 694, S4l, or 1924 per cent. The in
crease of stamps, stamped envelopes. etc,
issued over the last fiscal year is 81 ,329 00O
L here has been q gain during the year on
through-time mails between New York and
San Francisco of two days going westward
and Of one day going eastward. Gains on the
other through lines have been proportionate
The number Of railway postofiice lines in OPP
| Grafton is ffty-nine, extending over $4,000
miles Of road.
With this report ends the first decade OF the
free delivery service i'll this country. The
grounds relied upon for it's establishment and
| extension namely, public convenience and
stimulus to correspondence, have been fully
| verified by experience. Thus far this system.
| with it's letter boxes located at convenient
places throughout the large postal cities. and
it's frequent deliveries and collections of mail
matter by carriers, has proved to be virtual
| extension OF the postoftice to every house.
| The transaction of the postal business of
large communities by few men selected for
the purpose is justified in an economic point
of view by time saved to the people, the reduc-
tion of labor in postofiices, tho facilities and
the stimulus given to correspondence and
| the frequency. promptness. and accuracy
secured in the delivery of letters and the re-
duction Of the number of advertised and dead
| letters. While these benefits are most strik
| ingly seen in the larger cities, they are felt
and approved III all places where frequency of
the mails density of population and distance
| from the office make 1t inconyenient for
citizens to call or send for their mail. The
average of population to each carrier varies
with the number of people to be served, the
extent of territory, and frequency Of deliy-
| cries. The general average, however. il esti-
mated at $500. The expense OF the system at
each office is paid out OF the revenue of that
Office. 1t seems but fair, therefore, that this
mode of delivery should be extended to all
cities where the population, business, extent
OF territory, and frequency of mails may au-
thorize the requisite force and outlay. Just
how these elements may combine to warrant
the extension of the system it is difficult TO
determine, but l am of the opinion that it
might advantageously be provided for cities
having in their corporate limits a population
of not less thaan 10000.
The total number Of officers and employees of
postmasters.
Money order transactions show an increase
OF over S9,0OO,0UO or an Increase OF 1880 per
cent. More than 10000 600 of postal cards
will be issued during the first year.
The several acts for the repeal of the frank
ing privilege came i'll operation on the LIST Of
July last The results of the first quarter of
the current year are highly satisfactory, and
have fully verified the predictions OF the
friends of repeal. The confusion and delay
III the distribution and transmission of the
mails, caused by the sudden throwing, without
notice or system, of immense masses of free
matter on important postal routes, have been
remedied, thus making it possible to effect
decided improvement i'll the organization
and practical working of the service.
The increase III all issues for the
single quarter following the abolition of frank
ing was 1888, 554. or 351 per cent The |
large increase of receipts is derived altogether
from general and departmental matter, and |
from postal cards. Publications of class |
heretofore printed and sent out by order of
Congress have been almost entirely cut of |
since the LIST of July. OF the relief this af- |
forded some idea may be formed from the fact |
that during the three months next preceding |
that day there we're forwarded from this city |
over single route on the Baltimore and Ohio |
railway i'll box cars, Independently of the
amount conveyed III regular mail cars, 665, 5O4
pounds of such publications, appears from
the company with the permission of the De-
partment. These facts. it is respectfully sub
mtted, are ample to sustain our opinion given
III the special report to Congress, under date
of Jan. ~, 1871. The cost OF this free matter
charged with the regular rates Of postage
would amount to 81 543, 327.72 annually, and
1t is hoped this fact will be deemed sufficient
to prevent any attempt to revive an abuse
which would impose most grievous burdens
upon the postal service at time when that
service Is struggling to meet the growing
wants of the country in its course of un
PARALLEL Developments.
L respectfully submit the following plan for
the prepayment of newspapers of the second
class, ana respectfully urge it's adoption: Let
all publishers, or their business managers or
agents, be required at the beginning OF every
quarter to state under oath that, after ulllgent
inquiry, they satisfied that they will send
III the mails to regular subscribers during the
coming quarter not more than ----- copies OF
the newspaper known the --- (SlVing
the number of copies and the name OF the
newspaper); and let them be further required
to pay IN advance the postage prescribed py
law, and asking them for duplicate receipts,
one of which shall be transmitted to the Post
Office Department; and to afford a reasonable
opportunity for an increase of circulation dar-
ing the quarter let the oath taken at the be-
ginning of the next quarter embrace all the ad-
dltional copies for the last quarter as well as
the 10 DC sent uurlDB tIlc tuch SoLi-
quarter. On the other hand, let
Postmasters be required to return, within two
weeks after the beginning of every quarter.
correct lists Of all the newspapers addressed
to regular subscribers and dispatched i'll the
mails from their respective Offices stating the
number of copies of each newspaper, average !
weight per paper, number of issues per week
and the amount of money pald as ,
postage therefor. Payment having been
made in advance for the quarter, no
stamp OH manipulation would be
needed, but when received into the ofhce every
paper answering to the description given Ill
.he receipts would be treated as paid. The
papers of persons subscribing after quarter |
lay would be forwarded Immediately, and paid
for at the beginning of the next quarter. so :,
marked would be the improvement Ill the col
ections under this law that believe the de- 1
sartment could safely consent, in case OF it's [
ldopton to reduction in newspaper rates of ,
10 per cent. on the present price. At the re- /,
iuced rate. j am satisfied the department /
would realize more revenue than now. also c
believe that, so great would be the saving of
abor to newspaper proprietors, in the prepa- Y
alton of their papers for the mail, and 30 de- ,
,ided the dispatch aud the freedom from mis- :
axes in Transmission and delivery that they
would find the new plan more advantageous to 1
hem than the present one. similar plan 4
,ould be adopted for magazines and penodl- (
,als of the second class. q