The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-11-26
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
To what an Educated Nations Corre-
sPOudenee Inns GroWn-f.50O,O 900 Dead
Letters -CurhosItteH Or the Newspaper
Postage LaW.

To what am Educated Nations Corre-
sPOudenee Inns Grown-t.50O,O 900 Dead
Letters -CUrAOsItheH Or tine Newspaper
Postage Raw.
Mr.. E. w. Barber, the third assistant
postmaster general, has completed his
annual report. 1t contains many facts of
interest. The number of official letters
received in that bureau in the last fiscal
year was 685,000. These were opened,
classified, indexed and distributed by
four clerks. The figures show that the
postal cards were very popular during
the year. There were issued 107 ,616,0
of them, of the value of $1,076, ,l60. In
the month of October last there were
issued of the new cards 20, ,23S, 900, which
is one-fifth of the entire amount sold
during the fiscal year. The estimate of
the number necessary for the next fiscal
year is 154, ,967 900. The amount of pub
lie ordinary postal stamps issued to post
masters during the fiscal year was 6S2,-
340, 1000, of value of $lS,27 ,479. The
value of postage and periodical stamps
was S15, 1902, the numberof official stamps
issued to the executive departments was
Is, ,495, 900, of a value of 1884, $40. The
total number of stamps of all kinds issued
was 973, ,275, ,025, of a value of $25, ,476,-
511. The increase in the number of
ordinary stamps is about ten per cent.
The increase, including official stamps,
is about seven per cent. The postage
stamps sent through the mails by regis
tered pouches to pOstmastens numbered
359, ,452. OF this entire amount there
were lost only ten packages OF an aggre-
gate value of $3.50. The statistics of the
dead letter service are of quite romantic
interest. The number of dead letters
handled during the year was about
4,500,000. OF these, 81 ,799 contained
money aggregating SOL 900; l4,225 let
ters contained drafts, notes and bills of
exchange of the value $2,997 ,S47; 1885,
OPT letters contained samples of mer-
chandise, postage-stamps, and miscella-
neous articles; 3,740,000 contained moth
ing of value. There were mailed to for
eign countries from the United States,
$500, 900 letters. OF these, 106, ,2O0.were
returned undelivered. The number of
letters received from foreign countries
was IL, 100000 of which 219, 100 were
returned undelivered. These figures
show the advantage which this country
will derive from the new postal treaty of
Berne. That treaty provides that each
country shall retain the postage on all
letters mailed in its own territory, and
that no account shall be kept between
countries. The excess of letters mailed
from this country over the number re-
ceived from foreign countries is nearly
100000. The net gain to the United
States from the treaty, therefore, pre-
suming all letters to be only single
weight, is five cents on 100000 letters,
or $4,000. The result of the operations
of the new law, which requires prepay
ment of newspaper postage, presents a
curious paradox.
While the aggregate receipts from this
source have not been as large as they
were under the old system, the net gain
to the government is greater. The post
Office department estimated that the new
law would yield 81, l,5OO,OOO annually.
This estimate was based upon the returns
from fifty-fve leading offices for a uniform
period; but the pOstmasters either erred
or did not make truthful returns. Re-
ceipts from this source are less than ST.
600, 900. The government makes a gain
however, from the fact that this sum is
mainly collected in advance, at few
offices where no commission is allowed
upon the sums collected. The amount
TGCElNtu lllt litN NlHbClll II
$500, 900, about the sum received under
the old system in 1878. of the entire
amount collected, commissions were paid
upon only about 100000. Newspaper
prepayment stamps have been supplied
to 3400 offices, the total number of places
in the United States where daily news
papers are published. The increase in
the number of registered pouches during
the year was fifteen per cent. The sys-
tenn of registered thrOugh-pouches works
satisfactorily. They have been used
upon all the principal routes. Postmas-
ters generally testify TO their usefulness.
The special rates from France on and
after January LIST, at which date France
joins the postal union, there will be levied
and collected in France the following
general union rates of postage: For pre-
paid letters, 20 centimes per 10 grammes;
for unpaid letters, 60 centimes per 10
grammes; for postal cards, 10 centimes
per $50 glammes; for printed matter and
samples, centimes per 30 grammes. In
addition, the French government will
impose a special charge, a g sea postage"
of 10 centimes per 10 grammes, for let
ters; 5centimes per lj grammes, for postal
cards, and centimes per 80 grammes for
other matter, thus making the single rate
of postage on prepaid letters to the United
States 40 centimes, or cents. The charge
in this country on letters for France and
all other parts Of. Europe will remain at
cents only. The charge of sea postage
is made under paragraph i'll the Beine
treaty, which was inserted because some
of the delegates feared that sea trans
pOrtation could not be obtained at the
low general rate fixed by the treaty. This
apprehension has proved groundless, all
the ocean steamship lines having ac-
cepted the general union rates, and
France is the only country that takes
advantage of the precautionary clause.
This action of France is much regretted,
as it will cause great deal of complaint
on the part of residents Of France. IL
should also be noted by persons who write
letters to France that, under the newly
established rates, an unpaid letter from
the United States will be charged in
France with postage of seventy cen
times, or about IA cents.
The postoffice department has just con-
cIuded arrangements for the arrival OF
New York mails in this city in time for
their distribution by one o'clock in the
afternoon. They are now received about
three O'Clock, and communications or
letters do not reach the departments
until after business hours. Colonel Scott
has always been prompt to further fast
mail projects of the department between
New York and Philadelphia, and be-
tween Baltimore and Washington, and
Mr.. Hinckley, the president of the Phil
adelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
railroad company, has given a ready sup
port to the new arrangement, which will
go into effect between the twentieth and
the twenty-ifth instants.
An apparatus for washing smoke,
and thus depriving it ofits character Of a
nuisance, is in operation at factory at
Menilmontant, Paris A fine shower OF
water, travelling in the direction of the
smoke, and at five times its velocity, is
projected into the chimney, where it