The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-05

navy department; and he also suggests,
for the reasons which he assigns, that a
similar transfer may wisely be made of the
cruising revenue vessels. The secretary
forcibly depicts the intimate connection
and independence of the navy and the
connmercial marine, and invites attention
to the continual decadence of the latter,
and the sponding transfer of our
growing commerce to foreign bottoms.
This subject is one of the utmost import
ance to our welfare. The methods of re-
viving American ship building and of rein
stating the United States flag in the ocean
carrying trade should receive the imme-
date attention of congress. We have
mechanical skill and abundant material
for the construction of modern iron steam
ships In fair competition with our COM
mercial rivals. Our disadvantage in
building ships Is the greater cost OF labor,
and in sailing them higher taxes and great
er interest on capital, while the ocean
highways are already monopolized by our
formidable competitors. These obstacles
should in some way be overcome. and for
rapid communication with foreign lands
we should not continue to depend wholly
upon vessels built in other countries and
sailing under foreign flags. With no
United States steamers on the prlncipai
lines to foreign ports our facilities for eX-
tending our commerce are greatly restrict
ed, while the countries that build and sail
the ships and carry the mail and passen
gers. obtain thereby conspicuous adyan
tages in increasing their trade.
POSTAL MATTERS.
The report of the Postmaster General
gives evidence of the satisfactory condition
of the department, and contains many val
liable data and accompanying suggestions
which cannot fail to be of interest.
The information which it affords that
the receipts for the fiscal year have ex-
ceeded the expenditures must be gratifying
to congress and to the people of the coun-
try as matters which may fairly claim par
ticular attention. | refer you to his OBJ
servations in reference to the ACCESSIBILITY
of changing the present basis for fixing
salary and allowances. of extending the
HHoney order SYSTEM. 'of enlarging the
functions of postal establishment SO as TO
have under its control, the telegraph tsys
tenn of the country though from this last
and important recommendation | must
withhold my concurrence. AT the last
session of congress several bills were intro
duced into the House of Representatives
for. the reduction of letter postage 60 the
rate of 2 cents per half ounce. have
given much study and reflection TO this
subject and am thoroughly persuaded that
such reduction would be for the best inter
ests of the public. 1t has been the policy
of the government from the foundation.
to defray as far as possible the expenses of
carving the mails by direct tax in the
form of postage and it has never been
claimed however that this service ought
to be productive of a net revenue.
As has been stated already, the report
of the postmaster general shows that there
is now a very considerable surplus in his
department and that hencefOrth the re-
ceipts are likely to increase at a much
greater ratio than the necessary expendi
lures. Unless some change isnIades in the /
existing laws the profits of the postal SER
vice will in a very few years swell the
revenues of the government many millions
of dollars. The time seems conspicuous |
therefore, for some reduction in the rates
of postage. In what shall that reduction
consist? A revision of the legislation
which has been had upon the subject dur
ing the last thirty years discloses that do |
nestle letters constituted the only class of |
mail matter which has never been favored |
by substantial reduction of rates. | am |
convinced that the burden of maintaining |
the service falls most une9ually upon that |
class, and that more than any other is en-
titled to present relief That such relief |
may be extended without detriment to |
other public interests will be discovered.
Upon reviewing the results of former re
auctions, Immediately prior TO the act of
1845 the postage upon letter composed |
Of single sheet was as follows:
If conveyed 80 miles or less, six cents;
between 80 and 80 miles, ten cents; be-
ween 80 and $50 miles, 121 cents; be-
tween $50 and 400 miles, 1871 cents; over
loo miles, % cents. By the act of 1845 the
postage upon single letter, conveyed for
any distance under 800 miles, was fixed at |
five cents, and for Il greater distance, ten
cents, fifty per cent reduction in tax for
carriage would at once increase the num-
Der of letters consigned to the mails. The
advantages of the secresy would Iced to
very general substitution of sealed packets
or postal cards and open circulars and in
1ivers other ways the volume of first class
natter would be enormously augmented.
such an increase amounted in England in
he first year after adoption of penny pos
age was more than 1875 per cent As
'esult of careful estimates the dteails of
which cannot be here set out. | am con-
7inced that the deficiency for the first year
would be small. -.----
If congress should approve these sue
gestions ii may be deemed desirable To
supply to some extent the deficiency (
which must fora time result by increasing
he charge fer carrying merchandise. which
s now only 10 cents per pound: but even
Without such an increase r am confident