The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-01-11
WASHINGTON,

me Damon anu f,Nfhids of Tie y. o.
Department. Gstdgeons Lub,icateo
ws'h Olire Oh, DIT The Machine doe,
no. P0y. Whys--NiUions of ,Sfn,n n,
'sssl u Second Ivme.-Tne Eyims,,
Postage Stamps Of Foreign PoD-
e;S.
W sHtNGToN, d. g., Jan. z, 1879.
An impression seems to exist that
Postmaster General Key aud First As.
slstaht +. MIG. Tyner, are, owing prob.
ably 10 their anomalous relations. the
appointing power being practically III.
yided between them, somewhat jcalons
Of each other; but | am disposed IN
think from observation and inouirv
that such Is not the case. The euDloves
OF the department are Of the opinion
that the most friendly feeling exists be.
tween the L. NJ. q. and the first assist
ant, who was SO recently cabinet min
lister. The officials of the post Office de-
partmcnt, Republicans as they are.
warmly approve Judge KEYS admins,
tration; and on the other hand, The
postmaster general. in his recent annual
report, spoke of the ability, honesty, ii.
deity and excellence characterizinu
the management of postal affairs by Mr..
Iyner aud those associated with him.
The first assistant postmaster general,
who was years ago clerk ia the de-
psrtment, and has since been chairman
OF the postal committee in Congress-. and
later postmaster general, has had rare
opportunities to become acquainted with
all the minute details as well as the com
prehcnsivo relations of the gigantic sys-
TEN, and it is doubtful if any man in The
country understands tho machino ne
well as Mr.. Tyner.
1t Is u little remarkable that two men
OF such positive character as Judge Kew
and MIR. Tyncr, and so antithetical In
poiltics, education, aud personal traits.
should both pursue the even tenor of
their way In the matter OF appoint
ments, without conflict with each other,
or confusion i'll the postal service. But
The huge gudgeons ofthe postal machine
have been fabricated with the olive oil
of Cancellation aud reform, while these
two gentlemen work together IA har-
ANONYMOUSLY az weuld Damon and Pythias.
Judge Key, in defereuce perhaps 70 a
supposed Republican sentiment ,n the
North, delegates certain powers 10 Mr.
iyner III tho matter of appointments in
That section; but he takes upon his own
shoulders the heavy and complicated
work of the department, and with mat
tiers OF petty detail, or vast comprebeu-
sion, seems equally at home.
The pcstofilce department, by default
OF few round millions, falls short of tho
paying institution that was the ideal OF
tho late Postmaster General Jewell.
Tho excess ofexpenditurcs over rcceip,s
during the last fiscal year were nearly
five millions. Tho following are the
principal causes that contribute TO the
defect: First, the adoption of postal
cards, that enable messages to be trans
United through the mails at one cent.
instead of three, the amount of postage
formerly charged for all written com
muuications.
Second, the present mode of compen-
saung p0stmasters at Offices oft fourth
class. Postmasters at offices of this class
(paying them less than $1,000 d vearl .
are paid by commissions Oh their sales
OF postage stamps, while postlnasters at
larger offices are paid fixed salaries, and
the proceeds from sales of stamps at
those offices belong exclusively to the
department. The result Is, that post
masters OF offices of the fourth class
who are usually retail country store
keepers, instead of limiting their sale of
stamps to persons within the delivery
OF their respectives offices, not unfrc-
quentIy carry on an extensive traffic in
stamps with wholesale merchants in the
larger cities, thereby increasing TO s,l
undue extent their own compensation.
and greatly diminishing the revenues of
the department. To remedy this detect.
Postmaster General Key recommends
The enactment of law which will re-
quire the compensation of postmasters
at offices Of the fourth class to be based
upon tie stamps cancelled at their re-
Spective offices, instead OF, as at present.
giving them percentage of the proceeds
of their sales of stamps.
A third source Of loss to the dopart-
mont is the dishonest reuse of postage
stamps, that have not becn effectively
cancelled. 1t is estimated by compe-
tent postofficc officials that the govern
ment looses a million of dollars annual
ly from this source alone, millions of
stamps being so imperiectly cancelled
that little soap and water viii remove
the ink from them. A great many no.
vel devices havo been resorted to, or
have rather ooen experimental with, TO
guard against fraud, but to no SUCCESS
full issue. Judge Key has the matter
now under adylsement, and he will
shortly publish an order changing the
appearance of the one, two, and three
cent stamps, with view TO the protec-
ton, in a measure at Toast, of tho reve-
hues OF the department. Foreign gov
ernments have but little trouble from
this last named source; but their pos
tago stamps arc far inferior to ours In
strength Of material, az we'll as In hard
ness and beauty of finish. If we should
adopt the light flimsy stamp of DON.
mark or of Prussia, it ia safe to say that
not one in ten thousand could be wash
cd to look as good as new, but they
would be very unpopular with business
mon and the public generally, and the
number that would tear or become dc.
faced In process of affixing to tho enyel-
ope would be as large perhaps as the
number that are now renovated after
they have been once used.
Tho tendency of legislation affecting
the postofilco department has been TO
cheaper the rates Of postage, while at
tho same time the establishment of new
postof1ces in remote places, In many of
tho states, especially in Texas, has added
enormously TO the expense of transport
Ing tho mails. These are the principal
reasons why the postoffice department,
Which is moro intimately connected with
the wants of the people than any de-
partment OF the government, is hot
self-sustaining institution. c.r.s.
----------------
The Tribune almanac for 1878 Is a
political manual adapted for use among
all classes-business men as we'll as mol.
itlcians. 1t contains election returns
from every state and territory, a record
of thu constitutional cLai.1rnn L., ,....;......