Morris tribune., 1880-12-02

vices performed. to such line Of amended
steamers an may be employed under contract
with this deparsment in transporting mails of
the United States to Mexico. Central America,
South America and trans-Pacihc points.
MONEY ORDERS.
The money order system continues TO grow
in popular favor. The superintendent of the
money order system suggests plan for the
reduction of the fees which seems TO me en-.
tirsly feasible and which ia commended to the
attention of Congress. Briefly stated his plan
is TO reduce the fee for money orders not ex-
ceeding five dollars to five cents and extend
the maximum limit of an order from $50 to
$40 40 that increased commissions received
for large orders may Offset the loss resulting
from the reduced fee for small orders. The
money order business and operations of letter
carriers were reported in highly satisfactory
condition. #s .-'t.s3 81,
Mr. Maynard renews the recommendations of
his predecessor for legislative authority to ac-
ccpt aud to carry into effect the provisions of
an article of the universal postal union CON-
vention concluded ut Paris the first of june
1878, respecting the payment of limited in
demnitv for registered articles of the postal
union, the original address Of which may be
lost or stolen during transmission through the
mails, and also for such modification of the
provisions of the act of March Sd, 1879, as will
authorize the adoption, by the secretary of
the treasury and postmaster gen
eral, of regulations providing for
delivery by mail to addresses at offices of
destination in the United States, subject to
payment of customs duties thereon, any
packet of dutiable mail matter received in the
mails from foreign countries. He is of opinion
also that authority to transmit and deliver
dutiable articles of mail matter to addresses
through the mails subject to the paymnet of
customs duties thereon, should not be restrict
ed to such mail matter as is now exchangeable
in the universal postal union mails, but should
embrace all articles of dutiable matter received
in its mails from other countries.
POSTAL SAVINGS BANK AND TELEGRAPH.
The postmaster general suggests the estab.
lishment of postal savings" system and also
lowing terms:
One of my predecessors some years since
recon mended the incorporation into the de-
par, m mt of system of postal savings. The
subject has from time to time occupied the at.
tention of Congress for several years. The
system has been in operation in Great Britai q
and Ireland and Canada. When in London re-
Gently her maiesty's postmaster general
kindly gave me facilities for OBJ
serving the management of his department.
learned that :he postal savings system had
been remarkably successful and had constant
ly grown in public favor. As managed il
that country it is q source of some profit to the
government. In this countay incline to the
belief that the system would have advantages
even greater than in q compact population ik'
that of Great Britain. In by far the largel
portion of the United States there are no saw
| ings repositories, and are not likely to be. II
people of these parts the use of the postoffic'
| for this purpose would be q real boon.
would be an additional advantage that depos
its would be available at any depository Office
! in the United States, an important consider
| alton with q people SO migratory as ours
| 1t is believed the system would interfere littl
| with the business of savings banks, but woul(
| absorb funds not now deposited in them, no
would the patronage of the government b.
| sensibly increased, since the system would b.
| operated by persons already in public service
Your attention and the attention of Congress
is respectfully invited to it.
| During my visit to the British pos tofice
| examined with much interest the system o
| telegraphy for several years past connected
| with the postal service. This method of cor
respondence is thought to have made grea
| advance since it was changed from the manage
ment of private corporation, responsible t.
nobody, hardly to public opinion, and places
| under control of the government. The bust
! ness has Increased many fold. The cost o
sending messages has been largely reduced an
the service is performed in localities whic
would never be reached under the stimulus O
private enterprise. At the same time
| Yields q margin of profit to the royal treasury
This is not the time for us to renew the ir
quiry whether it is wise to leave this importar
instrument of correspondence in charge I
corporations whose primary object is gain
the managers and stockholders, and CONVEX
ance of the public secondary only.
Mr.. Maynard Ienews, for the considerable
of Congress, the suggestion made by his pr
decessor, that the word fraudulent" as
occurs in sections 3,429 and 4,O41, revise
statutes. preceding the word lottery shout
be stoicken out. He says 'sthat Congress
while expressly forbidding the use
ordinary mails to all lottery companies wheth
fraudulent, or not, should intend to affol
special security of the registry system, ar
convenience and safety OF the money ord
system to persons engaged in employments d
clared by the supreme court of the Unite
States to be 'demoralizing in their effect" !
matter how carefully regulated.
Unless express proof of fraud can be MAJ
against such companies. it,is not to be assume
Congress will Intentionally aid in demorali
ing the public by affording extra orcinal
postal facilities to persons or companies who
business accompany this result.
He further says that the legal positions taks
by his predecessor concerning the power of Il
postofhce department to exclude lotteries fro
the use of the mails meet his approval, and a
der a recent decision of the United Stat
supreme court in the case of Stone vs.. Il
| State of Mississippi, he has felt it to be
official duty to give full effect to the action
any State legislature in its effort to relieve Il
public from the evil consequences Of pernicio
legislation in the past.
Before leaving the subject Mr.. Maynard r
news the recommendation of Postmast
General Key that newspapers containing 10
terry advertisements be deprived of the priv
leges of the mails. $50
Attention is again called to suit brought
Christopher @. Campbell against postmaster
New York, which is now pending upon appe
before the supreme court. Suit has recent
, been brought by the same person against se
eral ether pestmasters upon the same groun
viz: alleged infringement of letters patent
. improvement in postofice pOst-markil
. and cancellin2 stamps, which stamps are fu
nished to postmasters by the department.
> is again requested that before final judgme
is had postmasters should be placed under {
same legal protection given to treasury ofhcis
. against levy upon their private property und
. ity and under orders of the department.
The Consptroller's Report.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-The following
portion of the annual report of the com
troller of the currency. The remaindt
which consists of review of the operation
8 of the national bank system since resum
ton, and an estimate of the amount of CT
Z tency and coin in the country, and
. amount in national, State and savin
' banks. and in the hands of the people on t
: date of resumption of coin payments, and
: November l, 1879, and November 1 /, 1880,
8 not yet completed, but will be ready for pu
t lication in the cou SO of few days. 7