The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-12-03
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE POST.
MASTER GENERAL.

seDts large amount of statistical information
concerning the operations of the department.
Attention is called to the statement of Assistant
Postmaster General Brady respecting the star
service transportation and last years de-
ficiency, as ''worthy careful consideration.
To have restricted the postal service to the
meager appropriation for 1879 would have rem
dered it entirely inadequate to the wants of
the people, He further says he has carefully
reviewed the estimates submitted by Gen.
Brady for the next fiscal years mail transpor-.
tation IN all its branches, and approves all of
them as being in accordance with the probable
requirements Of the service. An appropriation
is recommended for continuance Of special
mail facilities on railroads, such as extra trains
with mails only, ard aeeeleration of regular
trains carrying mails, etc., which the people
have enjoyed for several years past. The re-
port further says: at is not doubted
that regular and frequent means Of
mail steamship communication with Mex
lean, Central American, South American,
and tTahs-Pacihc ports would prove important
auxiliaries to American commerce, and think
it would be wise measure of public policy to
encourage, by appropriate legislation, the es-
tahhShnent by our own citizens of American
lines of steamers to such of said ports as will,
IN the Judgment Of Congress, promote our COM
mercial inter, SITS. ] think II would be wise
measure to so amend The general law on the
subject as to authorize the payment by the
Postmaster General of just and reasonable COM
pensation, within prescribed maximum limit.
and commensurate with the Importance of the
services performed, to such lines of American
steamers as may be employed under contract
with this department in transporting mails Of
the United States to Mexican, Central Amer
lean, South American. and trans-Pacifc ports.
The money-order system continues to grow
in popular favor. The Superintendent of the
money order system suggests plan for reduc-
ton of fees which seems to me entirely feasible,
and which is commended to the attention OF
Congress. Briefly stated, his plan is to reduce
the fee for money-orders not exceeding SIS to
3 cents, and to extend the maximum limit of an
order from $50 to $100. so that increased COM
missions received from large orders may offset
the loss resulting from the reduced fee for
small orders"
The foreign money-order business and oper-
atoms of letter-carrier system are reported in
highly-satisfac condition.
Mr.. Maynard renews the recommendations of
his predecessor for legislative authority to &C
cept and to carry into effect the provisions of
an article Of the Universal Postal Union Con-
vention concluded at Paris on the LIST of June,
1878, respecting payment of limited indemnity
for registered articles of the Postal Union the
origin and address of which may be lost or
stolen during transmission through the mails /;
AMI also for such modification of the provisions
of the act of March 3, 1879 as will all-
thorze the adoption by the Secretary of the
Treasury and Postmaster General of regll-
lations providing for the delivery by mail
to addresses at offices of destination in the
United States, subject to payment of customs
duties thereon. on any packet of dutleble mail
matter received in mails from foreign countries.
ne is of opinion, also, that authority to trans
nit and deliver dutiable articles of mail matter
to addresses through the mails, subject to pay
ment of customs duties thereon, should not be
restricted to such mail matter as is now ex-
changeable in the universal Postal Union mails
but should embrace all articles of dutiable mat
ter received III mails from other countries.
The Postmaster General suggests the estab-
lshmenJ of posa-savings" system, and
also of postal telegraphs in this country, in the
following terms lone of nv predecessors
some years since recommended incorporation
into the department Of a system of postal say
ings. The subject has from time to time occu-
pied the attention of Congress. For several
years the system has been in operation in the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
and Canada. When in London, recently, her
Majesty's Postmaster General kindly gave me
facilities for observing the management of his
department. | learned that the postal-sav-
ings system had been remarkably successful,
and had substantially grown in popular
favor As managed in that country it is o
source of some profit to the Government.
In this country l incline to the belief
that the system would have advantages even
greater than in compact population like that
of Great Britain, In by far the larger portion
of the United States there are no savings de-
positories, and are not likely to be. To people
of these parts the use of the postofice for this
purpose would be a great boom 1t would be
an additional advantage that deposits would be
available at any depository Office in the United
States-an important consideration with peo-
pie SO migratory as ours It is believed the
system would interfere little with the. business
of savings banks, but would absorb funds now not
deposited in them. Nor would the patronage
of the Government be sensiby increased, since
the system would be operated by persons al
ready in public service, with no considerable
addition to the number. Your attention and
the attention of Congress is respectfully in.
vited to it,
During my visit to the British postofice 1
examined with much interest the system of
teEegraphy for several years past connected
with the postal service. This method of CORE
spondence is thought to have made great adj
vance since it was changed from the manage
ment of private corporations, responsible to
nobody, hardly to public opinion, and placed
under control of the Government. The
business has increased many fold, the
cost OF sending messages has been
largely reduced, and the service
is performed in localities it would never have
reached under the pecuniary stimulus of prj-
Vato enterprise At the same time it Yields
margin of profit to the royal treasury. Is il
not time for us to renew the inquiry whether it
u wise to leave this iE20ortalt instrument Of
correspondence III ch-rge Of corporations
whose primary object is gain to the managers
and stockholders, and the convenience of the
public secondary only 2"
Mr.. Maynard renews for consideration Of
Congress the suggestion made by his prede-
cessor, that the word Fraudulent" as it oc-
ours IN sections 1929 and 4041 of the revised
statutes, preceding the word " lottery" should
be stricken out He says: "That Congress,
while expressly forbidding the use of the ordi-
nary mail to all lottery companies,
whether fraudulent or not should
intend to afford special security Of
registry system and convenience and safe
tyof the money-order system to persons en-
gagged in ernployments decl4red by the gu
preme Court Of the United States to be de-
r1oralzlng in their effects no matter how
carefully regulated, unless express proof of
fraud can be made against such companies, is
not to be assumed. Congress viii not inten-
tonally aid in demoralizing the public by af-
fordlng extraordinary postal facilities to per-
CONS or companies whose business accompIi hes
this result"
He further says that the legal positions taken
by his predec, ssor concerning the power of the
Postofice Department to exclude lotteries from
the use of the mails meet his approval AMI I'M
der the recent decision Of the United States
Supreme Court, in the case of Stone VS.. The
State OF Mississippi. he has felt it to be his Of
fetal duty also to give full effect to the actions
Of any State Legislature in its effort to relieve
the public from the evil consequences of per-
nlcious legislation IN the past.
Before leaving the subject Mr.. Maynard re-
news the recommendation of Postmaster Gen.
Key that newspapers containing lottery adver-
tisements be deprived of the privileges of the
mails.
LADYLIKE qualities cannot be con-
cealed, no matter IN what position she
who possesses may be placed. A Lead
vile lawyer was Cross examining wo-
man on the witness stand, and becoming
somewhat abusive, she exclaimed: Sim
a lady, by thunder, and don't you forget
it Chicago Journal.