The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-03-27
THE RATES OF POSTAGE,
Complete History of the Letter Syst

Oomplete history OF the Letter System.
The history of the reduction OF post
age in this country is comprehensively
given In report made to the House of
Representatives, by Mr. Farnsworth In
lI92 the first postage act was passed. 1t
introduced highly complicated system
| The lowest postage was six cents to
places within thirty miles eight cents to
places within sixty miles /; ten cents to
places within one hundred miles twelve
and halt cents to places within one hun.
dred and fifty miles fifteen cents to
places within two hundred miles seven
teen cents to places within two hundred
and fifty miles f; twenty cents to places
within three hundred and fifty miles
twenty two cents to places within four
hundred and fifty miles aud twenty FIVE
cents to places more than four hundred
aud Fifty miles distant. 10 1899 the
rates were changed The lowest rate
was raised To eight cents, aud the lowest
distance to forty miles. Instead of nine
rates there was six {; twenty cents carried
| letters FIVE hundred miles, and twenty
five cents was still charged for greater
| distances. In 1916 the minimum rates
were again reduced to six cents, and the
distance to thirty miles only five rates
were established eighteen aud hall
cents carried letters four hundred miles,
and Tor longer distances twenty FIVE cents
was charged still
These rates, with single exception.
where the postage was increased, con
tinued until 1915. when the first material
reduction took place. Five cents became
the postage for letters carried distance
of less than three hundred miles ten
cents for all greater distance At the
same time the drop letter system was in,
troduced, such letters being charged two
cents. Previous to this time the rule had
been that the above rates were for single
| letters-that is, letters on one sheet OF
! paper, large or small, and without refer
! encc to weight. In 1915 the half ounce
! weight was made the standard, iDsteadly
! the number OF sheets. Iu 1851 the sing
| lie rate was made three cents for all dis
tances under J, 900 miles and six cents
for greater distances, if prepaid, this be-
10 - l.,o Ill
pay letters. Unpaid letters were charg
ed five aud ten cents, according to the
distance. 10 1855 prepayment was re
quired three cents being still the rates
Tor distances under 5000 miles, and ten
1868 the present rate of three cents, pre-
paid by stamp, for all distances, was es-
tablished. The history of these reduc
tious, shows, also, that no material loss OF
revenue has been their immediate result
and that no loss at all has been perman.
eDt. Since 1851, when substantially the
present rate was fixed, to revenue of the
postoffce has increased from So 100000
for that year to So. 100000 in 1872;
hut we need not 20 further into details
The proposed reduction of the single
letter rate to two cents is an exceeding
ugly importan; step. We can estimate
very nearly what the effect Of the present
reduction will be- During the last year
there were four hundred and four and a
half millions three cent stamps, and nine
ty three millions three cent envelopes -
As double rates are almost always paid
by additional stamps of this denomiDa.
tion, and as foreign postage is very fre
quently paid with two or more three cent
stamps, we may take Sl5, 100000 the
value OF five hundred millions three cent
stamps as the sum to be affected primari-
~ by the new reduction. Were the mum
ber sold to be stationary, the consequence
would be loss TO the revenue of one
third of this sum-in other words a loss
of S5 600 600. AS matter OF TACT, how
ever. the natural increase in the number
of letters is about ten per cent. annually.
and this would make the number of two
cent stamps, substituted for threcs. for
the year ending June 80, six huodred
millions, with a value of twelve million
dollars, and reducing the loss to three
million dollars. Experience has uni
formly shown that reductions of postage