National Republican., 1882-12-09
DOWN With THE STAMPS.
Probability That Letter Postage Will Bo Re-
duCed at an EARLY Day.
The Bill Now Nearly Ready to be Re-
poted so Recommends.
History Of the Reduction From the Days When q
Postage Stamp Cost a Quarter.
Rome Reason to Expect That Further
Reduction VIII Soon be Possible.

The post-offce appropriation bill is in the
hands of Mr. Caswell, chairman of the SUBJ
committee of the house committee on appro-
priations He was at work last night upon
the draft, which will go to the printer to re-
appear in time this morning to be reported to
the full committee. On Monday it will be
reported to the house, with the expectation
on the part of the committee that it will be
taken up on Tuesday and passed without
delay.
There is much in the bill suggestive of
THE GROWTH OF THE SERVICE
along with the growth of the country. Per-
haps the most important suggestion in this
line will be found in the recommendation to
reduce letter postage from three to two cents.
The reasons for doing so ut this time are so
clearly stated, both by Mr.. Caswell-who was
called upon by REPUBLICAN reporter last
highland by Mr.. Bingham, of the house
committee on post-ofices and post-roads, that
they seem to be demonstrated beyond doubt.
Mr.. Caswell says that he is satisfied from his
investigation of the subject that during the
year 1888 and 1884 there will be from four
to five millions surplus revenues over and
above the cost Of the service the present fiscal
year. He found the percentage of receipts
over expenditures much higher now than ever
before, and is led to think that now is the
proper time to make a reduction on first-class
matter. He explained that, in order to secure
this reduction at this session, and in view of
the rule prohibiting such legislation in gen.
eral appropriation bill, the committee had last
Wednesday secured the passage of resolu-
ton by the house authorizing the committee
to attach it to the post-office appropriation
bill. The recommendation in the bill pro-
vides that the reduction
SHALL GO INTO EFFECT ON THE FIRST DAY
OF JANUARY,
1884, in the middle of the next fiscal year, so
as not to embarrass the revenues of that year
too much. Mr.. Caswell thinks that the re-
duction will eventually lead to an increase of
the revenues of the department, and believes
the people should have the benefit of all sur
plus by having the postage on their letters
made cheaper from time to time. He thinks
the loss to the revenues will not be very great
. even for the first year.
GEN. BINGHAM's VIEWS.
Mr.. Bingham, who made the report for the
subcommittee of the committee on post Offices
and post-roads, has given much thought to
this subject, and goes elaborately into the
history of letter postage in the United States.
He goes back to the year 1892 and has made
n study of the department reports so far as
they relate to postage, tracing the reductions
from time to time, and giving figures to DEM
onstrate the working of each experiment. AT
first it cost six cents to send a
letter thirty miles, and 25 cents to
send one four hundred and fifty
miles, and the tracing of all the steps, from
post-riding to chain-lightning postal cars, and
a two-cent charge for carrying letter from
Boston to San Francisco, is an entertaining
as well as an inspiring mental occupation.
Patriotism rises as the stamp grows smaller
the cost of star routes is less as the amount
paid railways is greater, and steamboats, are
less in demand for mail-carrying as railways
thread the river valleys or make short cuts
across the country.
Mr.. Bingham states in his report that this
is the first surplus year since 1851 when the
three-cent stamp made its appearance, and
uniform rates were established, with one ex-
ception. This exception was 1865, when there
were slight profits, owing to the suspension
of mail carrying in the southern states He
also explains, as does Mr.. Caswell, that the
purpose of the Post-Office department is not
to make money, and that the time has
come for this reduction. Gen. Bingham also
believes that a reduction will serve as a
stimulus, and by increasing the number OF
letters sent make up in q great degree for the
'loss of revenue caused by the one-third reduc-
tion on this class of mail matter. His
report suggests that there need be
no loss the first year if the government would
make fair allowance for its own official mail
matter; but he does noturge this point, believ-
ing that the surplus of this year will be fully
doubled in 1888, and that the change in rate
can be easily effected. Further than this, he
suggests that when the loss from this reduc-
tion shall be made up, the drop letters come
in for share of the benefit.
THE BILL
The two-cent postage suggestion is a sort OF
after thought in this bill, which recommends
appropriations the aggregate amount of which
is about $42, 100000, the largest item of which
is $l2,O00,000 for inland mail transportation.
The other most considerable items are-for
letter carriers, $3,600,000; railway postal
clerks, 1897 900; postmasters S10,OO0,OoO
railway postal cars, $1,6O0,0O0; star routes,
$5,500,000j inland steamboat transportion,
100000; depredations, 100000; transporting
foreign mails, $3.50, 200.
The bill recommends that the fast mail
train experiment be dropped; or rather it
drops out the item Of 100000 for special IA
etAsies. which amounts to the same thing.