The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-30

from the Buffalo Courier, March 1911
The Postal Increase.
There doubtless were perpetrated by,'
the late Congress not few larger SWIM
dies, but none has had so immediate and
irratmg an effect on the public as that
by 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
hardship Of the increase is chiefly felt in
the matter of transient newspapers, mar.
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
rlously affected by the change. Seed
merchants arc also among the specially
| afflicted.
1t is charged that the increase was
effected in the interest of the express
companies, and that the Adams companv
was the active agent in getting the tax
struggled through Congress. If this be
81. 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 class" except that
of merchandise If the rate had been
trebIed instead of doubled, it would 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 merchandise to a grecter
or less extent, out of the mail bags. and
most people will agree that change in
| this direction must be legitimate one.
The postal system is primarily devised
tor the conveyance of intelligence, in the
wide sense of the word, and it is diverted
from It's true function when it becomes
transportation company. The federal
government has not assumed the prcroca-
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
Comn1erclol Advertiser presents in
! startling light the financial side which
this prostitution of the post office has for
the public. He maintains that under the
system introduced in 1879 the post office
department has sustained loss of Sl5,-
25O, 7O0--duc to carrying merchandise at
less than the cost of such carriage. Bv
this means the large profits of the depart
ment on letter carriage have been con-
sumed and a heavy yearly deficit occasion.
ed. He says:
# things were restored as before, the Sic, $780,
000 would lie saved, and surplus would be
realized in the postoffice department of the
IS, 75o, 900, instead Of as much deficiency. The
Times, in the interest of those who are benefit
! ed in wholesale by such public plunderings.
adopts theory that, if extended, would put
railroads, telegraphs, and even tile building of
order to favor the public by losing an enor-
! nous amount The Object OF the mails is to
convey intelligence, and, if the TRANSPORTATION
| OF sixty tour pounds ty mail costs Airs, and
| the service added l.O7-total 1888, to carry for
80 cents is a positive loss of 1888. Il wOn]d
be more just that railroads, which are Dub];c
highways, free Of toll Tor the government.
should carry the mails free, that low cost 49,.
OOO, OO-the weight of letters representing
81, 100000 and the packages 81, 600, 900 on the
cost. And then, if contracts" that have cost
$4,000, 900 could I've reduced to onc-half. and
the seyen-eighths for packages, say 50, 375. 900,
were the only expense, besides service, even so
| it would exceed the $l,2l4,0OO collected on
packages, and the 80 cents would require to be
advanced to SHAY cents. or Q cents for every
pound Of weight, instead of only cent that
has been lately adopted The plan to be
adopted would be to give such facilities of the
mails to packages not exceeding twelve ounces.
as was the old rule, but on the basis of 2 cents
for every ounce of weight.
If Senator I1am|in, therefore, who
fathered the increase in the Senate, and
Mr.. Garfield, it's sponsor in the House,
had been content to tax merchandise
out of the mails, there would have been
no just ground for complaint, but the re-
verse. The change might speedily have
cleared the way to further reduction of
rates on legitimate mail matter. AS it
is, they have inflicted on the people one
of the most widely annoying impositions
that have lately emanated from Wash
ington.
BILL KING.