Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-07-20

Congressman Anderson on Cheap Postage
In 1874 the population of the United
States was about 100000 900, two fifths
of what it was in 1880. The postal
revenues of the year lS45 We're Sl.2S9,-
S4l. At that time the rates of postage
established in 1916, when the popula-
ton of the United States was about
100000, were still maintained. They
were: "For Il "single sheet letter,
under 80 miles, 10 cents; over 50 and
under l50 miles, I'm cents; over 400
miles, % cents. Under this scale a
letter starting from New York would
bring cents at Newark, 10 cents at
Princeton, l2l cents at Philadelphia,
and 2j centsat Pittshurg.
BY the act of March 3, 1915, the rate
on letters not exceeding 300 miles was
reduced to 5 cents, and on distances
exceeding 800 miles to 10 cents. Mr.
Anderson says it is difficult to estimate
the magnitude of this sweeping re-
duction; but it was enormous, and Mr.,
Anderson estimates it at 80, and prob
ably rs per cent. He thinks that re-
duction of letter rates to-day to one
cent would not be relatively as great.
A large diminution Of postal revenues
was inevitable, and, in regard to this,
two questions are Of interest as bear
ing on the proposition now made to re-
duce letter postage one-third, First,
was the decrease in receipts in the
same proportion as the cut in rates?
and second, was it lasting, or did the
quality of cheapncsS so stimulate cor
respondence as, within reasonable
period, to make up the deficiency?
BY comparison Of postal revenues
during 4 period Of seven years subse-
qucnt TO the change, Mr.. Anderson
found that reduction of rates
amounting to more than 80 per cent
caused the postal revenues TO fall off |
only 10 per cent the first year, and
8 per cent the second year, while in
1913 the revenues We're S4,371 ,077, or
SSl 236 greater than ever before, The
revenues continued to steadily in
crease, being Sj.905,17G in 1919; in
1850, 1852, 1881; in 1851, S6,727 ,S07,
and in 1852, seven years after the great
So, ,92j, 97l, or about 70 per
cent greater than in 1915. In 1851 an
other great reduction was made by the
of the 800 mile limit to 5000
miles, the substitution of the one-half
ounce standard for the "singlc sheet
letter and the reduction of the rate to
3 cents per one-half ounce, ii prepaid,
and ) cents if not prepaid, for any dis
tancc under 5000 miles. Mr. Ander-
son says that this cut was relatively rs
great as that of 1915. In regard to the
falling Off of the postal revenue, the cX-
periencc of lSi6-i7 was repeated, al
though in lesser degree, and in 1859
the receipts were SS.G6l, ,iSi, or ST.
AZ, ,5l3 more than in 1852. This is the
more remarkable because in 1855 an
other reduction was made, when the
condition of prepayment was cstab-
Iishcd, and the rate was fixed at 3
cents under 5000 miles, and 10 cents
for distance exceeding 5000 miles.
In 1856 prepayment by stamps was re-
luircd, and in 1868 the uniform rate of
hree cents for each half-ounce for all
domestic letters was established. The
asst three changes produced no appre-
liable effect upon the revenues. Con-
'idering the fact that the great mass of
correspondence consisted of letters
not exceeding Il half ounce
Zach, it is fair TO say that the present
ettcr rate has remained practically un-
hanged since 1851, nearly third of Il
century, during which time the popu-
,ation has more than doubled, and the
,asis of industry and commerce has
in even greater proportion.