The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-03-13

In comparison Win the carrier system
BY just this difference Of $250,000 (al.
lowing that the clerk.hise to assert the
letters into boxes would cost half as
much as the free carriers who do their
own assorting), the people of the whole
country are burdened to carry letters
to the privileged 6,226, $50 living in
cities of over 10000 inhabitants. II
they did not have such privilege, they
would now be hiring S500,000 worth of
boxes and paying the Government for
them to-day. But the postal benefits
would be greatly reduced to our city
friends. We are not arguing for such
reduction,-only showing them how
blest they are, and that the upper dog
in the fight should not be too arbitrary.
Every place yielding $4,000 or more
net revenue year must pay all its box.
rents to the DEPARTMENT.
WHAT STRANGE EQUALITY"
Now, as to the working of the free
delivery system towards individuals or
firms who receive mail matter This
is an indisputable test of its fairness
We resided six years ago in the city
of Detroit, over one mile from the post
Office Our letters and papers were
brought to our home Jas they are now
carried nearly three miles to other par
ties), and We were never asked for nor
paid one cent excepting on an occasional
undercharged letter or some newspaper
by the quarter. Here in Lansing, our
letters come with the same stamps that
were required 10 Detroit; but We must
now send to the postofhce several times
day, and pay box-rent besides. When.
ever letters are to be mailed they must
be carried to the postoffice, whereas in
Detroit we only needed to step to a
street.corner to find letter box. Peo-
pie may live ten years in a city, and
carry on large correspondence, and
never need to know where the postofice
building is, if they buy stamped envel.
opes. But in the country, millions of
people must travel between their homes
and the postotices every day. All the
regular weekly newspapers must be paid
for at five cents quarter or fraction of
quarter, and here they are only passed
through the delivery window to callers,
or put in the postoffice boxes, which if
used must be paid for extra; while 10
the large cities they are carried and dis.
tributed free to persons sitting in their
Offices or parlors.
Have We done anything as a citizen
of the United States, by removing from
Detroit to Lansing, that privileges which
we enjoyed in one place should BE- cut
off in the other, when both places pay a
surplus to the Postofice Department
Can the Detroit Post aud Tribune work
through this conundrum without any
" confusion Of ideas ?"
The practice of free delivering coun
try newspapers at the houses OF city SUBJ
scribers, after five cents quarter postage
is paid, while city papers pay the same
for bare delivery, only shows the neces
sity of rearranging the postal rates, 1t
is not our funeral: but we are willing to
join in the obsequies of any public in.
justice or inequality, never having been
the advocate Of special privileges to any
section of the press or any class of citi.
zen S, to the detriment of Others
NoJEALoUsY OF CITIES
Nor are we at all jealous Of the circu.
lation or influence Of the city press
The country press, wisely and rnerget.
ically conducted, can be set.supporting
and the reading Of either city or coun.
try papers increases an int ellectuaI ap.
petite and makes more readers OF news
papers of both kinds. As an exactly
impartial postal system is impossible, we
want our city friend to admit that the
32, 329, l33 people Of the United States
who do not live in cities Of over 10000
inhabitants have some rights tn at ought
to be respected and some ella inns that
ought to be granted