Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-06-03

- boo NSsso19o
posed Change IN Postal Rsgula.
siess-A Bill 60 Essablish Rssars.
Letter Onices.
Correspondence OF the Gold Hill Daily Nsvs.l
WASHINGTON. May "a, 1879.
The Southern members Of Congress
have addressed q communication to the
Northern Democratic members. asking
thsm TO outline . plan OF Legislative so-
ton in the present emergency. and
siguiiying their willingness to follow
their lead. The Democratic members
Of the House. who conceived this plan
Of getting q definite expression Of policy
from the Northern members, desired to
have the joint committee act upon the
proposition before taking any formal
step TO carry 1t out. Should the joint
committee adopt the proposition. II will
be submitted for signatures. Every
Northern Democrat who has been
spoken TO on the subject has sisnifed
his willingness to follow up the policy,
and insist upon standing firm and re-
fusing appropriations. The idea Of the
address or document il that a. the laws
sought 10 DO repealed moro directly
Affect the Northern States, and as the
repeating legislation was inauguratsd by
members from the North. they should
be allowed to lead in defining the policy
to be pursued. The Joint Conference
Committee will meet either to-day or to-
morrow. when the question will DO con-
sidered and passed upon.
The Committee on Postoflces and
Postroads have been giving their alton.
ton to o system OF return. letter offices,
such a. has long been in use in England.
The object OF Q proposed bill Ia to secure
the most speedy delivery Of letters to
writer's In cases whore the party ad.
dressed does not receive them, from any
cause whatever. such as q failure to take
them from the office. eligibility OF nd.
dress, i~ndisposition to receive them, or
otherwise. It IL very obvious that in O
country the extent Of this. where We have
postal lines 5000 miles long, . return
letter Office at ons point only, and that
one point Washington, ON the extreme
eastern boundary Of the continent, 10 In.
sufficient for tho speedy delivery OF let
tsrs or packages to the original sender,
in case OF non.delivery. The average
distance Of carriage OF mail matter In the
United States Is 1873 miles. This fact
Of itself is sufficient to demonstrate the
necessity Of the rsturn.lettsr offices the
bill proposes to establish. All the
postal reforms in this, a. in all other
countries, are taken from the British
system ; they were engrsfted on that
system, In spite Of the strenuous oppo-
sition Of postal officials, and were, in
every instance. the suggestions Of per.
son disconnected with the service. The
fast msil.ooach system. cheap postage.
uniform postage. and the railway postal
car. were all resisted. The p~ost.ofioe
money-order system was allowed to DO
conducted as . private enterprise by
three post.otioe clerks for forty years,
before the Department would assume its
functions. The commercial character Of
the British people demanded increased
communication and the result Is the
best conceived and the best ad.
ministered postal system In the
world. Its efficiency, however, Ia
greatly promoted by the fact that they
have . real civil service. Great Britain
has had nc such thing a. Q dead letter
Office. She has rsturn.letter offices.
Until within q very few years past u
Government had no return.letter Office I;
letters and packages, unless they con.
tanned valuablos. being destroyed. The
term dead.letter expressed their fate
literally. Great Britain began with one
return-lettsr office. In the year 1872
she had threat London, Edinburgh
and Dublin. In 1873 Glasgow was add.
Cd. and as the experiment proved sue
o~essful, tho number was enlarged. until
now there are in that country l72 offices
from which undelivsred letters are re-
turned to the writer's, with eight prin-
cipal Offices. Under the law, a. Il exists
In the United States, letters. II not dsliv-
cred, remain in the offices 10 which they
are sent until advertised, in the discre-
ton Of the Postmaster, but not oitensr
than once q week. They remain in tho
local Office in the discretion OF tho Post
master.G General. according to his regula-
tons on the subject. 1t il the intention
Of the bill that the experiment should be
made with o small number OF return.
letter Offices. II the result Is encourage
ing the system can be extended, II other
wise, abolished. The importance will
DO seen Of each commercial center hay.
ing 9 return.lettsr Office for the whole