The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-12-10

service should not be made self-sustaininp. |
The apparent profits of the oney-order
system during the last year are about
$1O5, 600, while certain expenses to the
amount Of &1S2OOO for clerk hire and station
cry In the Postofiice Department, Auditors
Office, and for money order clerks in the
order business but are paid out of appropria-
lions; So that, while the money order system
appears to yield a revenue of $1O5, 1000, there
is, in fact, deficit Of $4,000: / suggest,
therefore, that the fees Of money orders be
Increased in accordance with the views Of the
Superintendent, submitted herewith (see ap-
Pendix), or that the money order system shah,
like any other business, be made to defray all
its own expenses.
TRANSPORTATION OF MAILS.
The number and length of mail routes in
the United States require an expenditure for
transportation which dwarfs into insigniti-
canoe the cost Of similar service in other
countries. For the year .nding June 30, 1876,
it is estimated that this item alone will exceed
$lO,OOO,OOO. The portion to be paid to rail-
roads will amount to more than g, zoo, 600
Opinions have differed w.d ly as to the best
method of determining the rightful rates of
compensation to be paid to the railroads for
Heretofore their pay has been based on the
weight Of mails, with an additional allowance
on certain throughfares for providing postal
cars. At present the matter Is In a very UNI
satisfactory condition, and some equitable
mode of adjustment should be at once devised
have renrcscntcd tn tho dr,'artm,.nt tbat the
CARVING Of the mails w.s little mr. no object
to them. her,usa tho aynreSs cnmn.Hies
were willing to pay mach more for the ac-
commodation furnished than the department
would allow. On the other hand, represent
| have contcnded that the act which took
effect Julv I. INA nerm;ttinc the trans
mission nv mail If mack aces nj mer,h.ndise
| w.iuhin~ not over ffnmr nounds at the rate
of one cent for each two mlnces is taking
away the most rroi,.,,lo n,rt of t,,n;r husi
ness and will soon render tben unabl,. to
| meet the heavy rentals demanded by the
roads. Thus is presented a curious ANOMALY,
the roads claiming that the Government does
not nav AS muth IA the cxnress compani.s
are ready to INV. and the exnress COMPANIES
claiming. on the other hand. that the law is
etfrctinr such a diminution of their revenues
that they are unable to accedc to the demands
| of the roads. find no disposition on the
part of any railroad or transportation COM
pany to deal otherwise with the department
than i'm spirit of fairness and Justice
trust Congress will adopt some cauitahle
| plan of adjustment which will not be burden
some to the Government. and which will be
satisfactory TO the cOnnHnlrS. The act OF
| March 3 1873. rcadiustinr the nav of
| railroads on the basis of the weight OF the
mails carried. added much more largely than
was anticin,trd IN tho nxn.nsp If the 6.nart :
ment. The annronriatinn for that nnrnose
HAVING become exhanst.d I have declined To
make further navmcnts would surrest
that the time has come when ;, rrsolntc ,.ti;,r
should he made tn determine how Ear the
Po,toffice Department can nromrly On in its
efforts to accommodate the public Without
| trcspassinr unwarrantably mon the sphcre
of private ENTERPRISE. There must he a limit
to Governmental interference and hannily #
better ,uits the genius OF the American nco.
plc to helm themselves than to depcnd on the
State.
THE FUNCTIONS or THE DEPARTMENT.
To communicates intelligence and dissent.
nate information are urinary functions of this
department. ANY DIVERGENCE from the leriti.
mate snhcre Of lis oncration tends to disturb
the first rule that in thc ordinary branches Of
life the REGIMENT Of a benefit IS the nropcr
nartv to nav for # since thcre 10 nn ru
from the universal law that every service
must in some way bc maid for by some one.
Moreover in cnuntrv If vast extrnt like
this where most nr M, onprations Of the de.
nartment are carried IN r..,mnt, fr nm th,. com.
rolling center the disnostion to engage in
internal cntrrnrisrs more or less forris,n to
the theory of thr system will tend tn en,har.
easements Whereby ex,rdition would be
difficu,t For vcars the frankinr privilege
was an incuM,s On the drn,rtmept and an
obstacle to efficient nostol reform It's nholi.
ton. for which we are largely indebted to
the resolution and wisdom of inv predecessor,
opens the way for other measures. which
have vet to he nauyuratcd and dressed to \
successful issue before the department can be-
come self SUSTAINING While I do NOT fiatter
myself that shall he able tn accomnlish this
most desirable end during the short ,,.r,od of