The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-12-18
The Post.OIi:c Department.
WASHINGTON. November :

and approves all Of them, rs being in accord
ance with the probable requirements OF the
service. An appropriation is recommended
for the continuance Of the special mail fncili
ties on railroads, such as extra trains with
mails only, and accclcra,ion of regular trains
carrying mails. ETC., which the people have en-
joycd for several years past.
The report further says: ut Is not doubted
that regular and frequent means Of mail
steamship communication with Mexican. Cen
trail American. South American and trans
Pacific ports would prove important uuxiii,s.
ries to American commerce, and l think 1t
would be wise measure Of public policy to
encourage by appropriate legislation the cstab'
lishmeMt by our citizens OF American lines Of
steamers to such of said ports as will In the
judgment Of Congress promote our CONNER
cial interests. l think 1t would be wise
measure to 50 amend the general law On the
subject rs to authorize tho payment by the
Postmastcr-Gencrul Of just and reason bio
compensation, within the prescribed maxi
| mum limit, and commensurate with the iu''
| pOrtance Of the services performed, to such
lines Of American steamers as may bc en-
| ployed Under contract by this Department In
! transporting mails Of the United States to
| Mexican, Central American, South American
and trans-Pacifc ports.
1.-The moncy-Ordcr system continues to grow
In popular favor. The Superintendent OF the
system suggests plan for the reduction OF
fees which seems t. me entirely feasible, and
which is commended to the attention OF Com
grcss. Briefly stated, his plan is to reduce the
fee for money-Orders not exceeding 81 TO five
cents, and to extend the maximum limit Of an
order from $50 to 800. so thlt the increased
commissions received for large orders may
Offset the loss resulting from the reduced fc0
for small orders"
The foreign moncy-orlcr business and orcr-
attons OF the lcttc'-ca'ricrsyst arc reported
in Il highly satisfactory condition.
Mr.. Maynard rcncws the recommendations
OF his predecessor fnr legislative authority to
accept and to carry into effect the provisions
Of an article of tho Universal Postal Union
Convention. concluded 1T Paris June /. 1878,
respecting the payment OF limited indemnity
for Registered articles OF tho Postal
Union. the origin and address Ut
which may he last or stolen during the trans
mission through the mails; and also for such
modification Of the provisions OF the act Of
March j. lS.3, as will authorize tho adoption
BY the Secretary Of the Treasury and Post
mastc-.Gcncral of regulations providing for
dclv, ~ by mail to addresses at Offices Of dcs'
tination tn the United states. subject to pay.
mcnt Of customs duties thereon, Of any packet
o: dutiatlc mail matter received IN the mails
from foreign countries. lIc is OF the opinion
also that authority &c transmit AID Cc.:rc" d..
table articles Of mail matter to addresses
through the mail, subject 10 tho payment Of
customs duties thereon, should not b. re.
etrictCl to such mail matter as is now OK.
changcablc in tho Universal Postal Union
mails, tut should embrace all articles Of dti.
table matter received in Inc mails from other
countries.
The postmaste r.G General suggests the cstal-
lishmcnt of a "postaLsavings" system, and
also Of postal tcleg,nphs, in this country in tho
following terms: "dnc Of my predecessors
some years since recommended the incOrpo-
ration into the Department of system ct
postal savings. The subject has from time to
time occupied the attention Of Congress. For
several " ars the system has been IN opera.
tion in the United Kingdom Of Great Britain
and Ireland and in Canada. When in London,
recently, her MsicSty's PostmasterGeneral
kindly gave TIE facilities for observing the
management Of his Department. l learned
that the postal.savinys system had been r.
markably successful, and had constantly
grown In popular favor. As managed IN that
country, it is the source Of some profit to the
GOVERNING nt. In this country, incline to the
belief that the system would have advantages
even greater than ina compact population
like that Of Great Britain. In by far the larger
portion Of the United States there are no saw
ings repositories, and Hre not likely to be. To
the people of those parts the use OF the post.
Office for this purpose would be a great boon.
1t would be IN additional advantage that de-
posts would he available ut any depository
office in the United States-an important con-
sideraton with a people so migratory Us ours.
1t is believed tho system would interfere little
with the business Of savings-banks, but would
absorb funds not now deposited in them. Nor
would the patronage Of the Government be
sensibly increased, since the system would l'c
operated Ivy persons already in the public serv-
ice, with no considerable addition to the num-
bcr Your attention and the attention of Con.
grcss is respectfully invited to 1t.
"During my visit to the British Post.Officc
examined witt! much interest the system of
telegaphy for several years past connected
with the postal service. This method Of cor
rcspOndcncc Is thought to have made great
advance since It was changed from the MAR
agemcnt Of private corporations. responsible
to nobody-harliy to public Opini0n--ahd
placed under the control OF the Government.
The business has increased many fold, the
c )st of scndiug messages has bcen largely re-
ducet, and tie service Is performed in lOcali-
ties it would never have reached under the
pecuniary stimulus of private enterprise. At
the same time it yields margin of profit to
the Royal Treasury. ls it not time for us to
renew the inquiry whether it Is wise to leave
this important instrument Of correspondence
in charge Of corporations whose primary OBJ
ject is gain to the managers and stockholders,
and the convenience OF the public secondary
only?"
Mr.. Maynard rcnews for tho consideration
of Congress the suggestion made by his pretle-
ccssor that the word "fraudulcnt," ~ 1t oc-
ours in Sections 3,s.29 and i,O4l. Revised Stat
utcs, preceding the word "lOttcry," should be
stricken out. He says: "That Congress,
while expressly o,biddny the use Of the ordi-
nary mail to all lottery companies. whether
fraudulent or not should intend to afford the
special security Of the registry system and
convenience and safety Of the moncy.oricr
system to persons engaged In cmplOymcnts
declared by the Supreme Court of the United
States to be 'demoraIizing in their effects, no
matter how carefully regulated unless ex-
press proof of fraud can be made against suci,
companies, is not to be assumed. Congress
will not Intentionally aid in dcmoralizing the
public by sffOrding extraordinary postal facil.
ities to persons or companies whWc business
accomptishes this result"
He further says that the legal positions
taken by bis predecessor concerning tho pow.
er of the Post-Oiicc Department to exclude
lotteries from the use of the mails meet his ap-
prevail, and, Under recent decision of the
United States Supreme Court in the case Of
Stone va the State Of MiSSissiNni IN has fnit