The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-05-08
POSTAL MATTERS.

Our readers are aware that we always
regarded the repeal of the franking priv
ilege as concession to the clamors of
the daily papers, and showed the COW
ardice of the miserable demagogues who
| composed the last Congress. We never
believed it would be saving 10 the Gov
eminent as those who transport the
mails would charge the same price
| whether the mails were full or empty.
! The express companies would carry let
| ters safely and expeditiously for one
cent each, and make money. The Post
office Department carries them carelessly
and charges three cents each, and then
has to call for outside appropriations of
millions of dollars each year to make up
| for deficiencies
To show that the repeal of the frank
ing privilege is no saving to the Govern
ment, and to show that the express COM
panies. which make money, can carry at
one-tenth what the people are compelled
to pay to the Government for carrying
their mail matter, we make lengthy ex-
tracts from the Washington correspond
The Postoffice Department. is sorely beset with
hard questions and knotty problems connected
with the abolition of the ranking privilege.
Starting the mail matter of the government
under the prepaid system is not the easy thing
it may at first blush appear to be,
The subject is bp no means settled when every
department, bureau, and government Office
Throughout the land is supplied with stamps,
TO begin with, all offices must have stamps.
These, OF necessity, go in sealed packages; The
large onces VIII require liberal supplies. There
will be hundreds in the public service whose
nIst requIssitions will make package of twenty
pounds. Being sealed, under present regulations
1t Will require letter postage, or 5000 each.
Now, shall the Postoffice Department pay this,
ana SEND 1t by mail, or dispatch the stamps
which are to inaugurate the system of govern
average rate, for the case supposed of 81 instead
or take the matter OF scales. Every public
office in the land must have them, of the pat
tern furnished by the government. Next to
without under the new system. The medium
size used, packed in the department, weigh 171z
one secured in strong 3ii box tightly naiied
Letter postage on this would be $3.50. The ex-
twenty five cents, Philadelphia for half dollar,
New York for seventy-fve cents, Boston, Gin
will be seen that both stamps and scales to
start the system can De 9 ed
express than by present postal rates.
And so, to begin with, it seems likely that the
law must in,some way be evaded in the Postof-
flee Department itself. This annoying subject
is now under consideration. So far as cores
pondence alone is concerned the problem is not
difficult; but the question of distributing the
supplies OF various kinds which each depart
ment furnishes is not so easy of solution.
If the Postofice Department decides to carry
all of its own material in the old manner, why
should not the Treasury Department send out
its scales and stamps, its blanks and books, in
the old way too? True, the POstoffice Depart
ment runs the mails and controls the cars. But
IT can hardly be said that it runs the mails for
its own department but for the government as
The Treasury Department is quite as busy
for the change in the mail service. Its CORES
pondence is probably only third less than
tout is probably greater. II furnishes all the
stationery, including letter, note, blanks pen
score of similar articles which now fall under
great and small. and ofieiaI ena eneraveG 'f or
printed letter paper and all the countless forms
teriy, and annuity, for the following offices
500 Custom House and internal revenue offices;
% sub-Treasuries and repositories; % light
houses; SO supervisors, local and general, of
steamboats,; 40 officers of Treasury Department;
the revenue marine service; the Marine Hos
pital service; officers of the Mints. and all Of
ficers engaged under the Supervising Architect.
here, either In the Treasury or at the Public
Printers; and all blank books are made and
Most of this material must be sent in sealed
packages, and If the law is observed, must be
The question of sealing and still paying only
the rate for printed matter came up at the very
outset OF the preparations. The Postmaster
General was absent, but the first assistant partly
agreed that the difficulty should be avoided by
having the chief clerk of each bureau certify on
each such bundle sent that it was only printed
whether ch1ef clerk would ever find time to
Heretofore a large part of the material of the
Treasury Department has been sent by mail at
no expense to the government. Now it must,
est rates for printed matter cost more than 10
send by express, without the element of
sumo, and for large lots of material, with the
added trouble and cost of carriage, which are
The cost of one hundred pounds sent to the
Custom House in San Francisco by mail, if
If sent by express to New York, and by sea- the
cost would be only IS so.
pounds to Baltimore by mail, and so to any
other points. By express it would cost to Chi
So; to Galveston, $l2. But under present laws
mail matter can not be carried by express com
hered to, will not, under the new system, prove
ofspecial advantage to the government.
by the Treasury Department from the Custom
House at New York that will cost 5000 postage.
special messenger could come over with it in
trunk, and return, for So At full rates of
by messenger; while by express it would cost
less than S.. There are similar returns from
other large offices but this is quite sufficient to
Thus far the question has been only of dis
tributing the official material of the depart
ments and receiving the more bulky returns.
Il
1t is difficult to see how the government is to
save anythlng by paying the same rates for
transporting the mails, and paying for its cor
reSpondence, and the distribution of its office
supplies also. There abuse before in
sending this and all of its official correspond
ence free, since the mails at the same price
whether full or empty.
| We pay now about seventy-fve dollars
each year for insurance on our property
We have no idea that it zwilLzeve get
burned but it may. person who does
not insure is apt to laugh at those who
do, and say they are paying out their
money for nothing. But when large
amount of property is destroyed by fire,
and the word comes, ''no insurance" the