, 1877-09-13
A. BAD LAW.


Tashtn1tpn iHspstet ~ .sttr rnrk 1Tn4<s.
The Issue Of postagc-stasns'e hr the Post-Of1lcc
Department shows a marked falltng-oH during
the past fiscal year, as compared with former
ycars. Tic average annual ancrCnsc in tho tes,le
OK stamps las been for several years past about
o per cent, bit Inst year the value Of stamps is-
sucfl Is 1scarly 5000 below the vaiuc Of those
tss1cu for tho preceding year. This l. tnnIttY
attributed by Tho postal authorities u the legal
tzcl system Vt paJIug country rostmastcss
large commission OIL stamps sold by them.
Lirler the present law, stamps may be furnish
cd foilrttlclass lottnastcrs to the extent justi~
fed by their official bond, anu there IA nothing
10 prevent tlctn frnm travcrsing the country
sl,ao0 worth of stalnps sol.l, Tic rost-
masters Vi the ctahs referred to arc authorized
to retain $fO; and for saaes IN excess of bl,:1U,
they retain ~ per stnt. tic PURPOSE OF tllc law
WIS To grade, by sliding scale, the enlartes III
pustulasters wose compensation is lcss than
Sl,tUo nsc yclr, and, I the law was not abused,
old syslcm Of adjusting tlte salaries ot POST
tnukterB VI this class wAs based mainly upon the
number Of STAMPS catIeelct,-tl,e theory being
Tint the stamps Cancelled retrtsent the amount
Ing, wllilo tho vauc OF stamps sold Is n0 test
whatever Of the nt1ouat Of work required Of
rostinasscrs. Under tho present sYstehl, tho
Government loses mouey. whenever the
lU3klHHtiEE VI u el1luAl UlIlGG A{8kOEE8 Gl
stamps within the ,d'striet Of large
s LIE present law e ca v.it NV Yurs and psaie afs
out Sl.:a1W worth OF stamps for e0O0, ati thus
earn $;AD clcnr for himself, nnd Ct,a!'L: lti
purchasers 10 save q likc, amount, while the
iH1atal revenues would be cheated uut of $GDU.
There Are numerous wnys in which the Govern
ment Gnu 10 cheated under the present taw, uni
the fact OF large decline last year in receipts
from salcs Of stamps stluws the extent to Which
tho Government ID n'alc to suitrF. Instead Ut
u decrease Of thUU,0tt, there should bc an tsl-
crensc to tlat amount, which makes tlsc loss
*I,tAN,0D. The postal authorities believe TINT
country Postn,aaters through forced sa1es, have
oyerstoekcd business men with stamps, md tho
result of such forced eales is now made appar-
Cit III decreased REVENUES.
The number Ut regular stamps assued during
tho las. Isrn1 gear wins bs9,is0,61D,- futlng-otf
ot O,4l0, ~ compared With tic prce' ding year.
III newspaper uii1 periodical stamps, Stamped
envelopes, and postal -eafds there was MI IT,
crease, which fact strengthens the theory Of tho
of ordinary stamps. 0t newspaper and periol-
icat stamps t!lere were issued 1,3. 7l RtatnEelt
envelopes .l0; poetal-canls, l70, ,50J.
TiIe !ncrcasc In Eodlal-car1ls was ~, sN5 5U. rlls
value u tbs abuvc ssucs was FL 3H, ,3t3.
There wcre also issued during tho year to thn
Executive Departmeuts Is -s;s, official stamps
aud l4,'5o,tls T.. osial as cnvciopcs, both bcIlig
valued ut 9, l,eM!os: ,tts e $, r., ;, s,,,< n,,
Soma time al,o dealer in sewtnH-1nachincs at
Ltttie Rock, Ark, was exposed, through dis
patches fruul this city, In bis ciforts 70 lnlucc
country rostlnastcrs to purcha*o machines In
1f such illrcha4cs to Pobt1nn4tc1s is fully set
forth IN the dcalcr's circular, witch Is marked
"stfictlg confidential, ana for postn1asters
itics was given to the case, but d tho present
law permits the postal revenue to bc 5otjlc1 In
this mannsr, nothing could bu done except to
caution Postnlaslcr1 thnt the snlc Of stamps In
my other nianher tllnn that contemplated BY
law would cluss tho summary removal Of tic
offenders.
Tho nalno Of tho sgcn. alluded to is g. u.
Kirby, aud In bis clrenlar hg stylcs hllnsetf
s.ucneral dealer III Wheeler & Wilson Manu-
featuring Cuutpany'a new improved sewing.
machine for thu 6tate Of Arkalisas." Kirby has
rprcstty issued new circular, which Inns fallen
into tho hands ol thy postal authorities frre. In
which he oilcrs "st1l grtator Inducements :" to
circular The persuasive Kirby says:
reduction In tho prices Of .ewag. .nachinca, tnuce
s r s 5os nj 5snSs4 10y ssw T. s
snl Iii :end yoa ene u ri x,o1 .aseh!ns,: - 80
nsw, No. ), for vi; sSo M mashines, @ - So. Ii baif
case, ior sN. A. atli Rreatcr iu.inernent Will
take ths above ~ ons w.. nna sires esnt rs.;
the ttamp. you nee the machine will only cost you
Sl2 tor a SOD machine; $ll for e4Is machine. and
M shas ~ ns9sS tiki Il co.: Ss: 1sS so0 n,%
s :; sea i h's stati ~ sns s; s 9 sas s .
n. n..For tho benea1 II Fosta,a:tcrs who
may t4!uk thai Il IL violation of law fur tlcl u
dispose OF slamp4 for uach'ns. woulA say thai
hAl OF our best attorneys hero to eXatnine tit
law thu subject. and le says that II II viola
ttun Of The LAW. There IL, huwrras. MI order oi
in htt n
ou. and 70 desire: Tho penalty, however, will
never be cufurced. - this Transaction IL strictly
II yau want good machine, shere Is nothing wronl
| In The trade.
No stronger argument for the immediate re-
peal Of tle aet Of june, ls:3, regulating tle
is contained tn kirbJ's earcul4t. ThIs is onl,
Que uf tho nunlcruus instances constantly being
brought to ths attention of the PostUulre De
partIncnt.
| ot the pcratcsous practice uuder consideration
Not far from Philadelphia there IL locats,sl 4
college which Il under tie auspices Of religion.
seet, and which Is attended " about 100 stu
dents. for ths ace3mmodation ot the fto
majority Ut the Inhabitants Of tho locality,
Pest -O.co was established at the college build
ipgs, the President of the college acting n Pust
muster. A. tug bulk Ut the Mail received
aud forwarded Il On account Of the school
shoull 10 located u proximity 10 It; and ~ IL
President kindly agreed to donate tho salasy. u
tho olllee for the exteuaiun Ut the coates,
library. the Trustees bud that gentleman Vi,
pointed Postmaster. Fsior tu the MT Ut June
ls74, the salary Ut the oliieu sa& tS0U per II,
nutli. Silce tho passaCe Ut that art, however
thu salary has been Increased to t3,:aAl, a,1u II
now ku0wu ~ Presidential appointment
TLero hos been no increase in tho aGtual busi
ucss Of tho office u justify THIS Increase O
salary and rank. The iue!case waa brought
about 1T the following manocr:; Sonac VI lhs
Trustees aEe large merchants Of flflAdelphi4
null require large auiouut Of stamps In tht
c,uluct Ut their business. A. thr President u
thu college donates his entire salary ~ Post
naturally fit "a lstclas. L, Ia hsyins s''t Il.
salary raised to the highest ptjssibi.
hguscs: Taking advantage, therefore
VI the opportunity. presented by
defective law, thuy ug1etl to purchase Ill ihcil
stamps trum the College Posi-3tlles. instead o.
from the General pust-Otlie Il Philadelphia,
| II the SALARIES Of all Postlnastega vcle deter
mine4 scrurlinY tu the amount OF stamps sold
NJ iuiuttire would result " thu postal Ecveunc.
| By reason of such transactions, bceAuke xAa