The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-04-01
from the Buffalo Courier, March 1871
The Postal Increase.

from the Buffalo Courier, March 1871
The Postal Increase.
There doubtless were perpetrated by
he late Congress not few larger swim
lies, but none has had so immediate and
rrating an effect on the public as that
Dy which, in the last hours Of the session,
The rate Of postage was doubled on what
is known as email matter of the third
class We have already published the |
list Of articles included in this class. The |
Of the increase is chiefly felt in !
the matter Of transient newspapers, mag
azines, books, unsealed circulars and |
other article. which disseminate intclli-
gence and which accordingly should have
the fullest benefits of the postal system.
The monthly magazines which have been
transmitted through the mails at four
cents each row cost eight cents. A copy
Of the Courier, which formerly cost two
cents to mail, now needs three cents Of
postage to any part of the United States
albeit, absurd as it may seem, the former
sum still suffices to carry it to any part
of Great Britain, Ireland or the Canadas.
Ali classes Of publishers are of course Sc
riously affected by the change. Seed
merchants are also among the specially
afflicted.
It is charged that the increase was
effected in the interest of the express
companies, and that the Adams company
was the active agent in getting the tax
Struggled through Congress. If this be
50, the legislators who lent themselves to
aid the job surely did so in the most
bungling and superserviceable manner.
For it is certain that the express compa-
MES had no earthly interest IN seeking an
/ increase Of mail rates on any article in
cludcd in the "third Glass; except that
of merchandise IF the rate had been
trebled instead Of doubled, it weuld not
have driven transient newspapers, maya.
zines and such like to the express com.
panies. We have no doubt that it was
sought to tax ssmerchandise" to greDter
or less extent, out of the mail bags, and
most people will agree that a change in
this direction must be q legitimate one.
The postal system is primarily devised
for the conveyance of intelligence, in the
wide sense Of the word. and it is diverted
from its true function when it becomes
transportation company. The federal
government has not assumed the preroga.
tive of common carrier for the country,
and it is high time that the mails were
closed to such spurious service as they
have been made to render in times past
A writer on the subject in the New York
Commercial Advertiser presents in q
startling light the financial side which
this prostitution of the post office has fol
the public. He maintains that under the
system introduced in 1872 the post Office
department has sustained loss of SIS,
$50, 7OO-due to carrying merchandise al
this means the large profits Of the depart
ment on letter carriage have been con
sumed and heavy yearly deficit occasion
ed. He says:
II things were restored as before. the SIT, $50,
600 would he saved, and surplus would b
realized in the postofice department of thu
50, 750, 600, instead Of as much deficiency. Til
Times, in the interest of those who are benefit
ed in wholesale by such public plunderings
adopts theory that, il extended, would pu
railroads, telegraphs, and even tile building 0
houses, in the hands Of the government, il
order to favor the public by losing an enor
nous amount The object Of the mails is T
convey intelligence, and, If the transportatio
Of sixty tour pounds ty mail costs 4I.76. an
the service added 1.O7--total 2.S3, to carry fo
80 cents is positive loss Of 4O.83. 1t woul
be more Just that railroads, whica are publ
highways, free Of toll Tor the government
should carry the mails free, that now cost %,
OOO, OO0-the weight Of letters representa-
81, 0OO, 90, and the packages q, 600 600 on III
cost And then, il CONTRACTS" that have CO..
: SIC, OOO, 600 could be reduced to onc-half, an
the seven-eighths for packages, say 81 1916. 0O'
were the only expense, besides service, even {
il would exceed the el,2l4,00O collected o
packages, and the 80 cents would require to
advanced to $1.l4A cents. or cents for ever
pound Of weight, instead Of only cent th'
$ has been lately adopted. The plan to
adopted would be to give such facilities OF Il
mails to packages not exceeding twelve ounce
as was the old rule, but on the basis OF cen
for every ounce Of weight.
II Senator Hamlin. therefore, VII
fathered the increase in the Senate, an
Mr.. Garfield. its sponsor in the Hous
had been content to tax merchandise
out Of the mails, there would have bet
no just ground for complaint, but the :
verse. The change might speedily ha
5. cleared the way to further reduction
], rates on legitimate mail matter. As
h is. they have inflicted on the people O
II Of the most widely annoying imposition
n that have lately emanated from Was
t, ington.