The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-29

denoe. documents Of legal procedure
drawn up by public hlneilonarles, copies
and extracts nom deeda, way bills,
bills of lAdlng, Invoices documents Of
Insurance., MI kinds Of manuscript
music manuscript Of books, magazines, aud
Other literary works, and other papers Of
slalnr description, The regulation requires
Tint Ihesp shall be forwarded under n band
OF 10 an opon envelope Whether y plan
which eonilcl nj 30 many points with our
domestic customs can he successfully carried
ouI Without lmpedllng tho continuance Of
tho latter remains " be- seen, Our postal
regulations are 10 thoroughly faulty that
whom they hre brought into strong contrast
Niha superior system, u lenol unlikely that
public opinion will bs aroused, and that y
strong demand will be made for revision and
rolorm, method which mhkos man pay
ton limos ~ much fhr Aendinga package by
mail ffom Philadelphia IN this city Ms would
cost him 10 send the same thing from Phlla.
delphia 10 tho extreme eastern border OF
Russia, will not he tolerated fora grual while,
Other articles expressing the same opin'
ions appeared simultaneously IN leading Jour
mails IN ynfiuuR parts Of the country, which
led tho gentlemen who had been designated
to prepare and superniend the publication
Of n new edition OF the Postal Laws aud Reg
ulatlons 10 bring the matter " my special at
lontlon, 1t certainly appeared unjust To dl'
ctiminnto IN our postal service against Amer
lean ci,igons, andto allow them greater priv
iIeges In their postal intercourse with for
Oigner than were conceded 10 them In their
correspondence with one another. and II wis
Thought that reasonable construction ol
section - Of the Act Of March . 1879,
would permit commercial papers
70 be- filled out In writing,
without subIoeling tho matter TO letter rates,
Such papers wholly In writing must still
pw letter postage m our domestic mails, nj
though they may be sent from san Fancsco
across the continent 10 Europe ut the re-
duced rates Accordingly | directed the
adoption OF Section 282, which Is practically
n combination Of Sections 10 and II Of tho
Regulations of tho Universal Postal Union,
so lur rs Is permissible under our law.
The effect which tho adoption of these
regulations has upon tho revenue can only
be estimated. In reply TO II letter from the
postmaster ut New York, expressing fcar
tha, the revenue would be niuriously atlcc.
ted, | wrote under date Of July 90, 1879,
rs follows;
The department docs not share the appre-
tensions expressed by you Of decrease in
the revenues consequent upon the adoption
by Congress, in response 10 nm almost uni
yersal demand from the press md tho people,
of "A more liberal policy. Similar approhen'
sons were entertained ind freely expressed,
that .he introduction Of postal cards would
materially reduce the revenues of the depart
ment from letter postage. For the year end
ing June Both, 1872, just prior to the intro
duclion of postal cards, the sale Of postage
stamps aniuntad TO Sl5 Sl0,6i9, For the
year ending Jane TO- 1873 the revenue from
the stamps sold was Sl6,0Sl, ls0. and from
postal cards S3l09i0 For the year ending
june 30, 1874, the frat entire year in which
postal cards were used, the revenue from
postage stamps was SlI.275,2i and from
postal cards S9l0,700.
From the last report of the Postmaster
General It appears that during the fiscal year
ending June Both, 1873, the receipts from
postage were SO, l6>,GlS, and from postal
cards 50 0O6 800; thus showing that the use
1f letters has been increased rather than de-
creased since tho INTRODUCED on of postal cards,
and that these latter have created demand
for their use for special purposes in addition
to, rather than instead of, letters. In fact,
the whole history Of postal legislation in this
country ana abroad SHOWS mat any reduc,
ton in tho rate of postage or liberalzng of
the postal regulations in the interest Of the
people. is always sure TO result in nm increas-
cd use of the mails by the people, and u con-
sequent Increase oil inc revenues OF tne De-
partnen', promising OF course, that me rate
OF po, tage should never be reduced below inc
actual cost oil Distribution ana dispatch
transportation, ana protection; IL Is not De-
iieveu that inc department does incur any
loss IN the transportation OF mail matter at
lmrd-class rates VIZ one cent Tor each Two
ounces, or eig tcents pound. In view oil
the fact that parties Interested in the trans
porting OF packages Tor hire nave recently
protested against TINS liberai'zing policy OF
the Department respecting the rates Tor the
transportation OF lnird'eiass matter, IL might
DC ialr 10 assume tnat there was soma pront
NIT.
see no reason why tn' fostoince depart'
ment, more than the Army and Navy or
any other department Oh the government,
should DO conducted for the purpose OF max.
ing money, IL Is supported by the money OF
the people, and the people have the right to
demand from 1t the utmost facilities at the
lowe,t possible cost, either IN the rate Of post
age or in taxes for the support.
Holding these views, whenever 1t shall APP
pear that the revenues of the Department are
exceeding its expenses, l sh uld recommend
a still further reduction in the rates of post
age, and more liberal classification of