, 1873-01-29

THE RATES OF POSTAGE.
Congress- having abolished the franking privi
lego, the rates Of postage may now be reduced
without any embarrassment to the revenue
General Farnsvorth has. therefore, reported tht
bill reducing tho rate on all letters not exceed
! ing one-laH ounce in weight from throo to twt
| cents, tho same to be paid by stamps.
As necessary roform, and perhaps Of even
greater magnitude, the postage on printed mat
ter and the manner OF paying it has to bs
changed Nine-tenths OF tho printed matter
which gets into the malls never pays any postage
Without impeaching the honesty Of any Post
master, it is safe to say that very large per
centaSo Of the postage on daily and weekly newa-
papers, and other publications, is lost to the
Government. The bill repeatedly General Farus-
worth provides thatal printed matter, Of whateve1
kind, entering the mails, ahall be prepaid, and
be prepaid according to weight. The Poat-
master General stated that, it this law bepassed,
the rates Of postage on printed MISTER can be
reduced at least one-half. The operation will be
very simple. The average weight Of The DAILY
TR11USEs sent to tho Post Office every morning
can be ascortained OF their actual weight can
ba determined upon their receipt by tho Post
master; tho rate per ounce, pound, hundred, or
ton, being fxed,-the Post Office charges the
amount Of the whole edition to The TRIBUNE
Office. All this Office has to do is to either pay
the postage on the matter delivered every morn
ming, or, by making weekly deposit with the
Postmaster, have tie daily cost Of postage
charged up aSains. It. Tho use Of stamps
on printed matter other than transient is thus
avoided; no printed matter will be received
upon which the postage is not paid; and all
printed matter, once in the mail, will be for
warded to tho porson directed free Of cost. We
have in the United States, at this time, 40, 600
Post Offices. The postage On daily papers is 80
cents Per quarter, and on weeklas, 81 cents
will have an average Of 50 papers, daily and
weekly, no have over 1000 GOO Of accounts
opened and kept Of quarterly postages on these
publications. All this bookkeeping will be abol-
AaA6A ny A1H y 1kGA4- A-h1A oo%41A1oLGA HAAA
collect postage On what is mailed at his office,
and not on what is delivered
According to the Postmaster General, there arc
countless tons Of printed matter, in the form Of
magazines, newspapers, and other forms
Of regular publications, which are put into the
mails annually, and are carried OF great expense,
and On which no postage ever is or can bo col
1ected. TheY.are generally the advertisements
Of quacks, or OF other adyenturcrs, or OF frauds
The new lav will compel the prepayment Of
postage on al this matter.
twill havethe effect, also, Of reducing the cost
Of newspapers and magazinesto actual subscrib-
ers. That postage will have to be borna by
the publishers. The latter will cheerfu1ly accept
the cost in consideration OF the great conven-
once the new regulation will be to themselves |
md to their subscribers. Instead OF, Us now,
collecting postage from 10000 mail sub |
scribers to q daily paper at the |
ate of $1.2o per year from each, the whole post
,ge win DO collected from tho publiaher, not at
;ho rate Of so much per paper per quarter, but
1T the rate OF so much per ton. The benefit
sill be general. The subscribers will get their
papers free Of postage; the Government will
get paid for carrying every ounce Of printed
natter and the publishers, by paying the post
go on the aggregate weight. will not pay but a
raction of the rates now collected for postage
rom those who do pay. ThiR change in tho
ates and in the manner Of paying the postage
rill hare the effect of doubling the amount Of
printed matter, especially Of newspapers
nd monthly magazines, that will bo
ent through the mails. It will also
eliero the mails Of the great bulk Of trash
shich is now sent and On which no postage is
,aid. The abolition Of the franking privilege
Yin in like manner relieve the mails, and the
postal service will cease to be q charitable in
titution, supported by tax On one class for the
'enetlt Of another. It is not extravagant to esh-
nate that that the receipts from printed matter
nder the new law will, even at reduction Of 60
'sr cent on tho rates, yield larger revenue than
> nov collected from the same amount OF
natter carried through the mails, It is also
ossib1e that the reduction Of Letter postage to
70 cents will be followed BY liberal increase
( tho revenue from that class Of postage. Il
TIE LOUISIANA INVESTIGATION. !
II there were to be no further evidence before
be Senate Committee Investigating The late