The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-12-02
The POst.OMce Department.
WASHINGTON, November

CtIutu.
Mr.. Maynard says he has carefully reviewed
the estimates submitted by Assistant Post
master-General Brady for the next fiscal
years mail transportation in all its branches,
and approves all of them, as being in accord
ance with the probable requirements of the
service. An appropriation is recommended
for the continuance of the special mail facili-
ties on railroads, such as extra trains with
mails only, and acceleration of regular trains
carrying mails, etc. which the people have en-
joyed for several years past.
The report further says: at is not doubted
that regular and frequent means OF mail
steamship communication with Mexican, Gen.
tral American, South American and trans
Pacific ports would prove important auxilia-
ries TO American commerce, and L think IL
would be a wise measure of public policy TO
encourage by appropriate legislation the estaD-
lishment 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. / think it would be a wise
measure to SO amend the general law on the
subject as to authorize the payment by the
Postmaster-General of just and reasonable
compensation, within the prescribed maxi
mum limit, and commensurate with the I'M
portance of the services performed, to such
lines of American steamers as may be en-
ployed under contract by this Department in
transporting mails of the United States TO
Mexican, Central American, South American
and trans-Pacific ports.
"The money-order system continues to grow
in popular favor. The Superintendent OF the
system suggests plan for the reduction OF
fees which seems to me entirely feasible, and
which is commended to the attention of Con-
gress. Briefly stated, his plan is to reduce the
| fee for money-orders not exceeding So to five
! cents and to extend the maximum limit of an
order from $50 to 500, so that the increased
| commissions received for large orders may
| offset the loss resulting from the reduced fee
| for small orders"
The foreign money-order business and oper-
ations of the letter-carrier system are reported
| in highly satisfactory condition.
Mr. MAYNARD renews the recommendations
of his predecessor for legislative authority TO
accept and to carry into effect the provisions
of an article of the Universal Postal Union
| Convention, concluded at Paris June l, 1878,
respecting the payment of limited indemnity
| for registered articles of the Postal
| Union. the origin and address of
which may be lost or stolen during the trans
mission through the mails; and also for such
modification of the provisions of the act of
| March 3. 1879, as will authorize the adoption
| by the Secretary of the Treasury and Post
| master-General of regulations providing Tor
| delivery by mail to addresses at Offices of des-
| tination in the United States, subject to pay
ment of customs duties thereon, of any packet
| of dutiable mail matter received in the mails
| from foreign countries. He is of the opinion
| also that authority to transmit and deliver du-
| table articles of mail matter to addresses
through the MAIL subject to the payment OF
customs duties thereon, should not be re
stricted to such mail matter as is now ex
| changcable in the Universal Postal Union
mails, but should embrace all articles of du'
| table matter received in the mails from Other
countries.
The Postmaster-General suggests the estab
| lishment of "postal-savings" system, and
also of postal telegraphs, in this country in the
| following terms: zone of my predecessors
some years since recommended the incorpo
ration into the Department of a system OF
| postal savings. The subject has from time &c
time occupied the attention of Congress. Fol
several years the system has been in opera
ton in the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland and in Canada. When in London
recently, her Majesty's Postmaster-Genera
| kindly gave me facilities for observing the
management of his Department. l learned
that the postal-savings system had been re
| markably successful, and had constantly
| grown in popular favor. As managed in that
| country, il is the source of some profit to the
| Government. In this country, incline to the
| belief that the system would have advantage:
even greater than in compact population
like that of Great Britain. In by far the larger
| portion of the United States there are no saw
ings repositories, and are not likely to be. Tc
the people of those parts the use OF the post
| office for this purpose would be great boon
| 1t would be an additional advantage that de
posts would be available at any depository
| office in the United States-an important con
sideration with people so migratory as ours
| 1t is believed the system would interfere little
| with the business of savings-banks, but would
| absorb funds not now deposited in them. MOI
would the patronage of the Government bt
sensibly increased, since the system would bC
operated by persons already in the public serv
ice, with no considerable addition to the mum
Der. Your attention and the attention of Con
gress is respectfully invited to it.
| During my visit to the British Post-Offce
| examined with much interest the system OF
| 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 man
| agement of private corporations, responsible
to nobOdy-hardly to public opinion-anc
placed under the control of the Government
The business has increased many fold, the
| cost of sendiug messages has been largely re
duced, and the service is performed in local.
/ ties it would never have reached under the
pecuniary stimulus of private enterprise. A
| the same time it yields margin of profit Il
the Royal Treasury. Is it not time for us t.
| 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 renews for the consideration
| of Congress the suggestion made by his prede
cessor that the word fraudulent" as it oc
ours in Sections 1929 and 4,O4l, Revised Stat
utes. preceding the word lottery" should bt
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 thu
special security of the registry system anC
convenience and safety of the money-orde
system to persons engaged in employment
| declared by the Supreme Court of the United
States to be 'demoralizing in their effects, NJ
| matter how carefully regulated unless eX
| press proof of fraud can be made against sucl
| companies is not to be assumed. Congress
| will not Intentionally aid in demoralizing tn,
| public by atfording extraordinary postal facil
| tiles to persons or companies whose business
| accomplishes this result.
He further says that the legal positions
taken by his predecessor concerning the pow
| er of the Post-Ofice Department to exclud
lotteries from the use of the mails meet mis- ap
provaI, and, under a recent decision of thu
United States Supreme Court in the case o
stone VS.. the State of Mississippi, he has fel
it to be his official duty also to give full effec
to the action of any State Legislature in it
effort to relieve the public from the evil con