Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-20
THE POSTAL, SYSTEM.


Session of Congress.
There were three conferences upon the |
postofice appropriation bill before it finally |
passed; and when II did pass, there was a
general misunderstanding as to its provis- |
ions. The essential features of this law may
be gathered from the extracts given below |
from the report of the committee of confer
ence, which show that the postal system has
been materially altered. The information
contained in this report will not be officially
made public until the law can be printed,
which will not be for some time Mean
while, this report will be of interest to every
person having to do with the postoffice.
The provision of special interest to outgo-
ing congressman was inserted by the con-
ference, and was not contained in the bill as
it passed either house. This provision is:
Provided further, That from and after the
passage of this act Senators, Representatives
and DELEGATES in Congress, the secretary of the
Senate and clerk of the House of Representa-
tives, may send and receive through the mail
| free all public documents printed by order of
Congress; and the name of each Senator, Rep
resentatlve, Delegate, secretary of the Senate,
and clerk of the House, shall be written there
on with the proper designation of the Office he
| holds, and the provisions of this section shall
| apply to each of the persons named herein nm
til the first Monday in December following the
expiration of their respective terms of Office.
The following sections contain those gen.
eral features of the bill which are new legis-
lation:
Soc g. The postmaster general shall. in all
cases, decide upon what trains and in what
manner the mails shall be conveyed.
| Sec. 4. That all cars or parts of cars used
| for the railway mail serv ce shall be of such
| style, length and character, and furnished in
| such manner as shall be required by the post
| master general, and shall be constructed, fitted
up, maintained heated, and lighted by and at
| the expense of the railroad companies.
| Sec 5. That the postmaster general shall
| deduct from the pay of the railroad companies,
| for every failure to deliver a mail within its
| schedule time, not less than one-half of the
price of the trip, and where the trip is not
performed, lot less than the price of one trip,
and not exceeding, in either case, the price of
| three trips. Provided, however, That if the
failure is caused by connecting road, then
only the connecting road shall be fined. And
| where such failure is caused by unavoidable
casualty the postmaster general, in his discre-
ton, may remit the fine. And he may make
deductions and impose fines for other delin-
quencies.
| Sec. 6. That the postmaster-general shall re-
quest all railroad companies transporting the
mails to furnish, under seal, such data relating
to the operating, receipts and expenditures of
such roads as may, in his judgment, be deemed
mail transportation and the proper compensa-
ton to be paid for the same; and he shall, in
his usual report to Congress, make such recon-
mendations, founded on the information OBJ
| tanned under this section as shall, in his opin-
ion, be just and equitable.
| Sec. Z. That mailable matter shall be divided
into four classes:
| First-Written matter.
Second-Periodical publications.
Observation-Disclosures printed matter.
Notwithstanding
| Sec. s. Mailable matter of the first class
shall embrace letters, postal cards and all mat
tiers wholly or partly in writing, except as here
matter provided.
Sec. 9. That on mailable matter of the first
class except postal cards and drop letters, post
age shall be paid at the rate of three cents for
each half ounce or fraction thereof; postal
cards shall be transmitted through the mails at
| o postage charge of one cent each, including
the cost of manufacture; and drop letters shall
| be mailed at the rate of two cents per half
| ounce or fraction thereof, including delivery at
letter-carrier offices, and cent for each half
ounce or fraction thereof where free delivery
by carrier is not established The postmaster
general may, however, provide by regulation
for transmitting unpaid and duly certified let
tiers of soldiers, sailors and marines in the SER
vice of the United States to their destination.
to be paid on delivery.
Sec 10. That mailable matter OF the second
class shall embrace all newspapers and other
periodical publications which are issued at
stated intervals, and as frequently as four
times year, and are within the conditions
named in sections II and IA.
Sec. IL. Publications of the second class,
except as provided in section Is, when sent by
the publisher thereof, and from the Office of
publication, including sample copies, or when
| sent from news-agency to actual subscribers
! thereto, or to other news-agents, shall be en-
titled to transmission through the mails at 2
cents pound or fraction thereof, such postage
, to be prepaid as now provided by law.
Sec. IL. That matter of the second class
may be examined at the Office of mailing, and
if found to contain matter which is subject to
higher rate of postage, such matter shall be
charged with postage at the rate to which the
J inclosed matter is subject: Provided, that
} nothing herein contained shall be so construed
as to prohibit the insertion in periodicals OF
advertisements attached permanently to the
| same. ..-.s.
Sec. Is. That any person who shall submit
or cause to be submitted for transportation In
the mails; any false evidence to the postmaster
7 relative to the character of his publication
, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemt amor, and
upon conviction thereof in any court of compe
, tent jurisdiction, shall for every such offenst
! be punished by fine of not less than 800 mo-
more than $500.
Sec. IA. That the conditions upon which {
publication shall be admitted to the SECOND
class are follows:
First-It must regularly be issued at stated
/ intervals, as frequently as four times a year
! and bear date of issue, and lie numbered con
! secutively.
Second-It must be issued from known of
fee of publication.
Third-It must be formed of printed pape
3 sheets, without board, cloth, leather or othe
substantial binding, such as distinguish printed
: books for preservation from periodical publica
\ | lions. @S
y Fourth-It must be originated and published
! for the dissemination of information of pub
y lie character, or devoted to literature, the sci
ences, arts, or some special industry, and hav
: ing legitimate list of subscribers: Provided
g however, that nothing herein contained shall b
It so construed as to admit to the second-clas
J. rate regular publications designed principally
for advertising purposes, or for free circulation
: or for circulation at nominal rates.
: Sec. Is. That foreign newspapers and othe
= periodicals of the same general character a
l. those admitted to the second class in the Unite
). States may, under the direction of the postmas
: ter-general, on application of the publisher
It thereof or their agents, be transmitted throug
n the mails at the same rates as if published Ii
q the United States. Nothing in this act shall b
q SO construed as to allow the Transmission
= through the mails of any publication whic
violates any copyright granted by the Unite
States.
Sec. 16. That publishers of matter of tn
second class may, without subjecting it to eS
> ira postage, fold within their regular issues
supplement; but in all cases the added matte
: must be germane to the publication which i
$ supplements, that is to say, matter supplied t
@ complete that to which it is added or supple
mented, but omitted from the regular issu
= for want of space, time, or greater convenience
= = which supplement must in every case be issue
q with the publication.
e Sec. II. That mail matter of the third elias
o shall embrace books, transient newspapers an
Z periodicals, circulars, and other matte
: wholly in print (not included in section -
e proof-sheets, corrected proof-sheets and mar