The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-04-08

The very general discussion over
the provisions Of the last postage
law calls up the whole subject of
postage. Among young people but
few know how high the rates Of post
age in this country used to be. In
the commencement Of our postal sys
TEN the rates we're: On single let
ters, SO miles or under, 6 cents; to
60 miles, 8 cents; 60 TO 100 miles, 10
cents; 100 to $50 miles, 12i cents:
$50 to 200 miles, l5 cents; 900 to
$50, II cents; $50 to 800 miles, 90
cents; $50 to $50 miles. % cents;
$50 miles and over, 25 cents For
news papers, cent each, anywhere
in the State; cent for not over 100
miles from one State to another; IA
cent for distance not over 100 miles,
and "brother printers" might send
to each other one copy in exchange
without charge. 1t should be re-
membered that newspapers in those
days were very small affairs; few of
them were larger than single page
ofthe Register now.
There were only about q hundred
postofices in all the fourteen States.
and the heaviest mails those made
up in New York and Philadelphia)
were light burden for. one man to
take on his shoulders.
During the war with Great Britain
the rates of postage were consider
ably advanced, the schedule in 1914
Is being as follows: Single letters,
net over 40 miles, l2 cents: 40 to 80
miles, Is cents; 80 to $50 miles, lSs
cents; $50 to 800 miles, 25 cents:
800 10 500 miles, 30 cents; over 500
miles, 35 cents. Double, triple,
&C., we're charged corresponding
rates, and the number Of sheets, not
the weight, determined the postage.
Many people will remember disputes
about such questions as, s'lf you write
q letter ON one sheet and tear the
leaves apart, is is single or double
letter!' AT The same time news-pa-
per postage was advanced to 4 cents
for less than 100 miles and within
the State, and p cents over 100 miles
and out of the State.
Not long after the war closed,
newspaper postage was reduced to l
and /! cents. Subsequent changes
brought letter postage down, and
about twenty years ago we got on SO
far in the direction of common sense
as TO charge letters by weight, and
reduce postage to 3 cents if prepaid,
or 5 cents if not prepaid, for all the
country except California and Ore
gon, to and from which States it was
10 cents. At the same time news
paper postage for regular subscribers
was fixed at cents quarter (three
months) on weeklies for 80 miles or
under; 80 to 800 miles, 10 cents;
800 to 1000 miles, Is cents; 1000
to 5000 miles, 90 cents, and :orgreat-
er distances, 25 cents. Transient
papers were charged | cent for 500
miles and upward, according to dis
tance. About this time, we think,
newspapers were sent free through
the mails to subscribers in the coun-
ties where such papers were printed
or published. The next change of
importance was the absolute requir.
ment of payment in advance on let
tiers. The uniform rate was ; cents,
except for the Pacific States. News
paper postage was once more tinker
ed, and the schedule fixed at 81 cents
per quarter for weeklies, l3 cents for
semi weeklies, l9t cents for tri week
lies, and 30 cents for dailies, paya-
BILE in advance. Transient papers
cent, if paid in advance, or 2 cents
on delivery. Soon after this the ex-
ira price to the Pacific States was
dropped, and some further modi6ca-
tions were made in the charges on
printed matter.-Register.