National Republican., 1875-12-04
CURRENT CAPITAL TOPICS,
fConffnued from Firsf rar.
ID ls7a.is aIlersnea IN Isfur ID is7s d ssls.

tCo5ftnuee IRON fuH roes.l
q is7a.Is dirsrsnoa in isSur Of ISIS Of ssls,-
The recorded cosaplalni. OF missing l.sssrs
registered and 2 p5s unrsFistered.T he registered
letters tontaned, az is alleged, On rsncy, bonds,
qrsis aS 70 nnd ,ns n az IN
e95.le. OF the 2e5I registered letters reported
lost Loss were sstisiaetorily accounted for. OIL
actually lost, and esS remain under inyestiga-
During the Yesr sO7 persons werc arrested
charged with various violations Of the postal
nec.sd with the postal service. The employees Of
the Department thus arrested were classined as
fSi0w.; Ps.tmssters G assistant pc:tnsitsrs ter;
agents, 8; mail carriers, 10; mail messengers, 2;
latter carriers IL; others, 1e2 OF those persons
psrtment the majority were tramps and vags-
bonds and burglars Of the lower order Of intelli-
gence. The following disposition was made Of
tions abandoned, 81 noie prosequis entered, 0; not
indicted, 4; escaped, 4; forfeited bail, died be-
Tbs snaStmnt p trans,
actions Of which have reached about $50, 900 900,
shows an apparent profit Of about s12o 900, though
IL is really In arrears more than that sum, II the
clerk hire and stationery REQ uired for the bust
ness, and now charged against the postal reve-
nues, were transferred TO this account, where
is nothing more or less than Government banking
for the benefit Of the public, and those who avail
themselves Of its benefits should pay Its current
expenses. Congress at the last session advanced
the fees on small money orders to point at
which It is believed Il will, as it should, for the
current year and hereafter, pay its own ex-
pentes.
OUR OCEAN NAILS.
The fact that but one-line OF steamships carry
Ing our flag is employed in conveying mails across
ica Is humiliating TO the Just pride OF every Amer
lean citizen. This line makes regular weekly
trips from Philadeiphia to Liverpool, and carries
n ALL mail In n ealfafarf0rv Ra far ha
posteges a. compensation Tor the service; but the
great bulk Of our mails for Europe Is carried by
port o Ns% YORK On
Thursdays and Saturdays Of each week. AS o
matter Of national pride, as an aid to the revenue
supplying an eficient steam marine, available
for Immediate use by the Government In case Of
war, provision should be made for the Transports
tion Of our malls on important ocean routes in
steamships oticered aud manned BY our own citi-
Eens and sailing under our own fag. It Ia be-
compensation IN excess or the posts now alo wed
under the provisions Of the general law would
enable our citizens TO establish and maintain
steamship lines acresG the Atlantic and to South
American ports which would prove remunerative
TO the proprietors and promote the general pros
perity Of the country. A reasonable allowance
for Q line 10 the west coast of South America
would assure regular mail communications by
American steamers with our sister repu blics on
etss1 snan nno an s INA ma ror
the mail service to those countries In American
ships after the termination OF the existing sub
December, ls7s. I think ii safe to say that the
sum Of S5oo.ooo per annum, now granted as. q
subsidy to the China ana Japan line for single
monthly service on that route, would, IN addition
TO the postages on the mails conveyed, be quite
Sufficient, iudtciously apportioned between the
respective routes, to MAINTAIN an efficient mall
service by steamers sailing under our flag on all
the important ocean routes which should be occu-
pied by American steamers.
THE EVIL OF ssTRAw BIDS,
A change in the law Is needed, such as will au-
viate the evil OF straw bids on the failure Of any
accepted bidder to carry inland mails TO offer the
contract, as m m2tpresenI 70 the next lowest bidder
high; and II this next lowest bidder. declines 10
enter into the contract, to be authorized to enter
price not SAID nsa bd a.
no contract can be made with any party at this
price, TO go on up the list In Ike manner always
giving the bidder the first chance. 10 this way
will the Postmaster General be enabled TO COM
mand the entire field Of contractors, the bidders
having no control OF It unless they will take the
contract at the price named.
THE EEoRMoUs business BY RAIL.
No antagonism or serious differences of opinion
have occurred during the last year between the
Department and the railroad companies The
Department pays the railroad companies for
transportation Of the mails about $4,000 600 an
nually, and they in return are Offering all the
Msirh inde,,es ee n, eommane, ana IN manner
them and the Government and every disposition
10 advance the interests Of the Department. The
mails carried. Many Of the most Intelligent gen
uemen controlling these corporations feel IL
would be more equitable to pay by space. In the
found that while the space basis would increase
the pay Of several hundred roads, generally eff the
It would reduce It very materially on
many OF the smaller and weaker ones, and the
Department hesitated TO advance measure
likely TO bring so much antagonism. During the
last lew months new impetus has been given to
railway and FoofIft
the business Of the country by the establishment
OF fast mail lines. Railway post ONCE cars, in
tfansported at spesd Stse9so aiG r. nov
service. Upon one OF the largest lines has been
placed postal railway train, under the entire
no passengers. These new post ONCE cars bear
the seal Of the United States and of the Post
Omce Department. It is believed, at no distant
great as to induce the railroad companies to run
similar trains from New England TO the Gulf
and from the Atlantic TO the Pacific.
NEEDED CHANCES IN THE POSTAL LAW.
would repeat the recommendation made by
year ended June 30, 1873, that citizens be per.
mitted. without additional charge, to write o
form ofpIessnt1sion in any boob, pamphlet, maya.
third class; and also that the sender OF package
be permitted. without additional charge, to write
his or her name and address on the outside there.
same, SO IS to inform the person addressed Of the
name OF the sender, and 10 write briefly on ary
closed. 1 recommend that the postage is on tran.
sient newfpaPers and periodicals, books, printed
matter Of all sorts, lithographs ana maps, sheet
for publication, shall be reduced to one cent for
each 70 ounces or fraction thereof which was the
rate before the enactment Of the law advancing
II during the closing hours Of the last Congress-
The act Of June q, 1874 requiring prepayment
in stamps OF postage on newspapers and period.
ical publicatlons, mailed nom known ofices Of
QUanefea md aAH
regular subscribers or news agencies, went into
effect on the lst Of January, 1878 From present
T reaI,s S;, about o 900 for the
tion from the average results Of the old law.
There has been large net gain. however by
the old Law, a. under the present law the great
bulk Of postage is paid at the large Offices whose
salaries are not affected by this item. Under the
old law there was no check TO insure collections at
the Office of destination. and the Consequence was
that mach matter went unpaid; and it Is satis-
faction that under the present more equitable
The reduction in the rates. The new system has
worked so admirably and has given such gen.
tral satisfaction that no change is deemed ne
ressary.
COMPENSATION OF PosTxAsTERs.
Under the present law, which bases the con.
pensatien OF postmasters OF the fourth class upon
The revenues Of the Government by the sale Of
stamps to be used elsewhere particularly in large
cities, where salaries have reached the maximum
" 31.Ay OAACAale Law Uotu U.S.
missed for violating the rules Of the Department
In this respect but II is impossible so large Is the
number, for the Department to prevent wrong
practices, or even, TO any great extent, to keep
them in check. recommend that the compensa-
ton OF the postmasters fthe fourth class be based
upon the business OF their respective Offices as
determined BY the cancellation Of stamps; the &C.
count to be duly sworn to for each quarter and
returned to the Sixth Auditor. There Is q Rreat
want ofequity In the compensation of postmas.
ters Of the first second and third classes. Under
the present law, postDasters In small cities and
towns, who are required to give very moderate
bond. and whose business also is not large may
receive the maximum salary. In the larger cit
ies, like Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago post
masters doing postal business of hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars per annum, q money-order
business ef millions, and giving bonds to the ex-
tent OF 500 600, receive no greater compensation
than that paid In great majority Of the small
In many places the salary Of the postmaster is
the largest in the place, presidents cashiers sec
retares, and other officers Of corporations whose
duties require greater abilities, and whose POSI-
ions entail vastly greater responsibilities receIy-
Ing less. This state Of things encourages aud
sometimes leads to an unseemiy scramble for
hese oces- III the salaries at the smaller offices
are not excessive those ofthe large cities are GER
Lainly too low; ind postmasters as class to be
efncient, capable and attentive beyond my ex-
and their salaries should bear some
proportion to thsir duties. Gases are said TO ex-
st, however, where few or no duties are actually
performed by the postmaster. A Law compelling
pcstmrs sters whose net income Is, say $1,000 or
more, 10 give their entire attention 10 the duties
Of their ctfice failing in this TO emnlov sona