Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-14
THE POSTAL SYSTEM.

| How It Was Altered by the Postofice APP
preparation Bill Passed at the Recent
Session of Congress.
There were three conferences upon the
postofice appropriation bill before it finally
passed; and when it did pass, there was
general misunderstanding as to its provis-
ions The essential features of this law NAV
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 postofice.
The provision of special interest to outgo-
ing congressman was inserted by the con-
ference, and was not contained in the bill al
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 I'M
| til the tirst 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. 8. 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 parts of cars used
for the railway mail service 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,
Tor every failure to deliver mail within its
schedule time, not less than one-half of the
price OF the trip, and where the trip is not
performed, hot 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 a 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
necessary to enable him to ascertain the cost of
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.
| NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. printed matter.
Fourth-Merchandise
Sec. 8. 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
a 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 one 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 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 rs, 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 Q
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
it 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
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.
Sec. ID. That any person who shall submit,
or cause to be submitted, for transportation in
the mails; any false evidence to the postmaster
relative to the character of his publication,
shall be deemed guilty of misdem amor, and
| upon conviction thereof in any court of compc-
tent jurisdiction, shall for every such offense
| be punished by line Of not less than 300 nor
more than $500.
Sec. II. That the conditions upon which a
publication shall be admitted to the second
class are as follows:
First-It ust regularly be issued at stated
intervals, as frequently as four times year,
| and bear date of issue, and lie numbered con-
! secutively.
| fee of publication.
| Third-lt must be formed of printed paper
sheets, without board, cloth, leather or other
substantial binding, such as distinguish printed
books tor preservation from periodical publica-
tions -
Fourth-It must be originated and published
Tor the dissemination of information of pub
lie character, devoted to literature the sci
ences, arts, or some special industry, and hav-
Ing legitimate list of subscribers: Provided,
however, that nothing herein contained shall be
so construed as to admit to the second-class
rate regular publications designed principally
Tor advertising purposes or for free circulation,
| or for circulation at nominal rates,
Sec. 10. That foreign newspapers and other
periodicals. of the same general character as
| those admitted to the second class in the United
States may, under the direction of the postmas-
ter-general, on application of the publishers
| thereof or their agents, be transmitted through
! the mails at the same rates if published In
the United States. Nothing in this act shall be
! SO construed as to allow the transmission
tnIOagn tne mails OF any publication which
violates any copyright granted by the United
States.
Sec. 16. That publishers of matter of the
second class may, without subjecting it to ex-
| ira postage, fold within their regular issues
| supplement; but in all cases the added matter
must be germane to the publication which it
supplements, that is to say, matter supplied to
| complete that to which it is added or supple
mented, but omitted from the regular issue
for want of space, time, or greater convenience,
which supplement must in every case be issued
with the publication.