New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-26
CHEAP POSTAGE.

CAV POSTAL RATES BE REDUCED
~, .pc,-,,rSr THAT SIGH A MEASURE Is PHAC-
TrCABLE AND pEsIRABLE-ViEWs OF i"O"--'
L JAMES. ...-...od
gentleman in this city who IS in ,rTosssd
in the subject of cheap postage rcceh'i'
the following views on the sublect. c.o,.e nosraI
- TGe rsts charged by the nlted states p DOSE
authorities for the carriage OF nIs 5 md the
mail matter are so eXt0rtlOhaleiy Ho''' sl,arora
facilities for transport nowadays so I'LL
sies I and Va neNpensivs that the puDilc
cannot he blamed for having begun W eI".G; IL
cbeaper hostage. COmparisohs arc pr , % 80 nos
odIons. Int II is only by comparison thsI IL . -
oItous G ?Istr,ts Eyw enormously the American
,aools ore ,,yertaxed by the Government loI V1o
conveyance hither ana thltIeI o. oL no further
AZ the present time, ve can uaAe ~ :. Ions+
ADVANCE npon the path of reform, we may AZ .e.5O
relnce our tariff to the level OF that OF tne lSIa
,rhare the fact that oil postal matter -
1+r 40 -riers NJ the residences of those 10 WHOM
addressed renders the task OF the fOst-Ohcs nue.
,,ore ar.iuous and costly than II IS here, lSAIIE
Tho British halfpenny to be equal IN value 10 !uc
American cent the cost of sending SIX ounce 1e'.er
from let rs say kiUkwa In Orkney to 81 heiI 1 ;
in Jersey is cents while the cost OF sen4ihF
letter of similar weight from New-1oIk 10 ill1'
delpha is no less than 36 CENTS or exactly sA tuss
as much And II should he borne IN mlnd luaV
from krkwall to st. Ieliers Is, even under Iuo
most favorable circumstances. at least lOur daEs
Journey. involving two sea passages whereas tio
transit from New York TO Philadelphia Is merely
an affair Of hours. The reactonaty or h{peL- con
sentative mind may ODleCt mat t4e Ice WnICu
frank a letter from New ork 20 PhlldelDhla VII
frank one from New-Yolk to san Francisco aud
shat the British Post Office has not IN deal WIN
such gigantic distances as that. My reply ID thdl
railway fire gut IN England is considerably mUt'
expensive than 10 IS here, and That moreover II7
Prtsh post-O flee does far more for Its customers
than IS done by the United states PosI-Ouice. 81
offers for instance Tar greater facilities LOT the pI
chase OF stamps and the registration OF etteis LOT
IN every cltv there are several branch post-oll'oA
n the SQUARE mile and ~ city and ham 81 SliAe
n delivers letters at the very doors daily. nere
i. in fact no doubt that postage m England -"
uuon the whole. both actually and proportl ohaIeiy
cheaper than u IS hers. r-.:.or
~ rs t9I.e further illustration. I'm the nlted
states. drop or local letters IN districts having
~;tercarriers are charge for at the rate OF co me
per half ounce. The trouble involved IN respect OF
these letters is of course a minimum ID EhGIanu'
however an ounce letter can De sent, not meieF
from one part of London TO another. Duu t' aus
address i'm Tn. three Kingdoms for cents, or one
ns,r, n vou1d apuear there lore. that the Juited
states Pos -Oi flee mi ht reasonably make SOue 'yu
rcSsOrs 10 the public. l should suggest uIslll o
tne Adoption of general Z-cent rate; anu
SecOuGv the increase OF the resent IImll OF ciAn'
to one ounce. Even then TINS coun~y N'u-H -
long wav behind Great Britain when, Win NHd1
we cannot bat regard as a healthy business ID.
stiuct makes d reduction upOn taking quantity
and charges much ess than - cents per ounce Ipou
excess weignt But soma reform Is certainly
needed All persons having much correspondence
and habitualy mailing heavy letters iee o'e; 'uI
dcnrl hv the present tariff. The rates, indeed are
so high that Il is often cheaper. ana always
speedier ia the Gaze Of heavy local letter 10 us
patch i; bv messenger rather than by post: ana
there IS no doubt Whatever since tie fosJ- nee u
working nj It profit. tnat 10 should and could serve
the pu6lic more cLcaDv than 1t does. Lest TIE
grossnpss Of its charges be not fully realized love
prepared a table which she VS. the comparative cos
IN ENGLAND and America of sending letter lroh
one end OF the country 10 another;