The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-11-27
The Post.Omce.
WAsHINGroy. Eovember Is.

of reports of his subordinate officers.
RAILWAY SERVICE.
The Postmaster-General renews the. recon
mendation contained in his last report for tn
enactment of a law eadjusting the compensa
ton OF railroads for carrying mail upon a basi
of space, speed and frequency, supplements,
by the weight of the mails carried. The rail
road companies have as a general thing neg
lected to furnish statistics of receipts, expendi
lures, etc, as requested. The recommends
ton is made that the appropriation to enabl,
the Postmaster-General to obtain the prope
facilities for the prompt transmission of mail
by railroad be increased this year TO S401Ce0.
The cost of railway service on the Both o.
June, 1879, was at the rate of S9,692,5,0 per an
mum, an increase over the cost of the seryici
during the preceding year of S125, 995. This in
crease does not, however, represent the actua
rate of increase in the service, as account
must be taken of a reduction of five per cent
in the rate of compensation from Jaly /, 1873
made under the act of June II, 1878. Tit
amount of this deduction is, in round mum
bers, 100000, making, with the Sl2j, 995
an increase of 1886 for 1879 over 1873
being little less than So per cent. The
general increase of business all over the
country, and the reasonable certainty that the
present prosperity will continue for some
years, will require the appropriation for the
railway service for the next fiscal year to be
increased to at least Sl0,000,000, and the esti
mate is accordingly placed at that sum. The
estimate for the railway post-Ofice car service
for 1851 is placed at 81 ,3JOCO). The Postmaster
| General earnestly renews the recommends
ton of last year for a Redistribution of the
employees of the Railway Mail Service by the
General superintendent that service.
! THE STAR ROUTES. ......
General Key reports that the operation OF
| the present laws regulating the increase OF
| compensation for increased speed and in
cresed frequency of service upon " star
routes Il. e., all those wherein the mails are
| transported by horses and ordinary vehicles
results in great loss to the Government, and
recommends legislation to enable him to re
trench in this direction.
! The estimates for STAR service the nev+
| fiscal year contemplate the continuance of the
| present efficient service in other States, and
largely increased mail facilities in the States OF
| Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina,
| North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida,
| Mississippi and Alabama. The total amount
asked for =" star" service the next fiscal year is
| S7,315,000. The estimates for inland mail sery-
ice by steamboats, is S90O,0OO.
FAST MAIL SERVICE.
The report continues: The efforts Of the
! Department to establish fast mail service
with Havana via Cedar Keys and Key W est, in
| order to meet the demands of commerce, have
| failed for several years on account of the in
suftciency of the compensation allowed by
| law for such service. If the Postmaster-Gen-
eral were authorized to contract for service
| between Havana and the United States ports
mentioned at a sufficient rate of pay to secure
the necessary speed and frequency, the
! commerce of the country would be great
ly benefited. l believe that a general law
should be passed authorizing contracts for
carrying mails between the United States and
the West Indian and South American ports in
American-built steamers carrying American
flags, at fixed minimum and maximum price,
the amount to be expended regulated by an
nual appropriations; or the service might be
thrown open to competition the same as the
star service. The adoption of such service
by Congress would enable this country to con-
troll the profitable commerce with South
America and the West Indies, which is now
almost monopOliZed by Great Britain"
LOTTERIES.
In regard to the use of mails by lottery COM
D9ni1S- hot
Sections 1929 and 4,041. Revised Statutes, be
amended by striking out the word "fraudu-
lent" preceding the word lottery" in each
section, which will make the legislation more
harmonious and effective. 1t would aid the
Department I'm the execution of the intent of
the law If the provision Of Section 1883 requr-
ing the return to the writer's of registered let
tiers addressed TO such schemes were in terms
extended to include all letters so addressed.
The circulars recently issued upon this subject
are given, and reference is made TO a case now
pending in the United States Circuit Court at
Louisville, which, when decided, says General
Key, Il will avail myself of the decision to
communicate further the views of this Depart
ment upon the question. Whether an indi-
yidual may forfeit his right to use the mails
for legitimate purposes by voluntarily ming
ling such correspondence with prohibited mat
ter so that the Department must carry both or
neither is question upon which additional
legislation might render the purpose of the
statute altogether unquestionable. The car
riagc 10y mail of newspapers containing lottery
Postal laws renders the successful enforce
ment Of the statute now in force still more
difficult"
THE NEW POSTAGE RATES.
General Key reports that the law providing
Tor a new classification of mail matter, and
adjusting the rates of postage thereon, passed
al the last session of the Forty-fifth Congress,
has given universal satisfaction.
PROTECTION TO POSTMAsTERS.
Under the heading of Protection TO Post
masters in person and property" the report
says: " desire respectfully 10 call your attcn-
ton to the fact that there is no United States
statute imposing penalty on any one for as
saultlng or molesting Il postmaster III the dis !
charge of his official duties as in the case Of
revenue officers, and l earnestly request that
Congress be urged to pass such a statute"
In connection with suit recently decided |
against Postmaster James, of New YORK, Tor |
aIegcd infringement OF letterS-patent in the !
use Of canceling stamps, General Key saws an |
in the case is now being taken: but |
as other postmasters are liable to be subjected |
to expense in the same manner, because these |
stamps have been in use ut all the principal |
post-Ofhces OF the country for the last ten /
years, he desires to call attention to |
me ract that there is no provision Of
probable cause" to United States officials |
other than officials in cases of adverse /
judgments for acts done in their Official Gu
pacity. I" In the present instance Mr. james,
as postmaster, uses the canoeing stamps fur
nished by the Department. The Court ad-
Judges him to have infringed patent by such |
Z
him personally. In like cases the property of
the Treasury officials is protected by law from
levy. ! submit that similar protection is due
% al Government employees when acting in
the line of their duty"
DUTIABLE MATTER, ETC.
The report recommends that the provision
If Section II of the act of March 3, 1872 author
Zing the Secretary of the Treasury and Post
to adopt regulations for de-
livery to addresses in the United States of
iutiable books, with the collection of customs
iuties thereon, be extended TO embrace all
articles of dutiable matter received in the
nails from foreign countries.
The POStmaSter-Ieneral recommends le0is-
alton to enable the Department to adopt
general regulation of the Postal Union rela-
i've TO the payment of limited indemnity for
registered articles lost or destroyed in the
postal service.
PAY OF CLERKS.
The report goes on TO say that "the increas-
ng demands of the postal service call for a
arge increase in the appropriation tor the
,ayment of clerks in the pOst-Offices. The eS-
imate S3,650,010, for this item is greatly be-
Ow the actual need for the service have so
however, because did not desire
0 increase the growing disparity between
he revenues and the expenditures of the
department. To provide less sum for the
mploymC nj of clerks than / have estimated
or will cripple the work of the pOst-CiiicCs
nd in many instances delay the transmission
# mails"
THE FREE DELIVERY SERVICE.
The free-lcliyery service is mentioned rs
aNlDT Obtalncd great success. nut the POST l
remarks that with larger ap-
rOprfatiOnS more frequent deliveries cCuid I
G secured. and such Improvement he believes !
'ould meet with universal commentator in /
be larger cities. 4 deficiency of about $24,-
. is reported in the funds available to pay |
be letter-carriers Increased salaries author
led by the act of last February, and Congress
requested to supply it.
THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
( interest made are, in brief, that Congress
lould provide at the next session for super
eding al the earliest possible date the mail
'cks now in use by others OF new and improved
atterns (for which purpose an estimate of
10000 is subInittedl; that the Public Printer
e authorized TO print new edition of the codi-
ed Postal laws and regulations to be sold 10
lie public at cost; that authority be given to !
he Department to contract for the publication !
monthly Postal Guide for a term of five