The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20


suggests for the reasons which he assigns,
that similar transfer may wisely be made
OF the cruising revenue vessels.
OUR MERCHANT MARINE.
The secretary forcibly depicts the intimate
connection and interdependence of the navy
and the commercial marine, and invites at
tontion TO the continued decadence OF the
latter and the corresponding transfer of our
growing commerce 20 foreign bottoms. This
subject is one of the utmost importance to
the national welfare. Methods of reviving
American ship. building, and of restoring the
United States flag in the ocean carrying
trade, should receive the immediate attention
of Congress. We have mechanical skill and
abundant material for the manufacture of
modern iron steamships in fair competition
with our commercial rivals. Our disadyan-
tage in building ships is the greater cost of
labor and in sailing them, higher taxes, and
greater interest on capital, while the ocean
highways are already monopolized by our for
mldabe competitors. These obstacles should
some way be overcome. and for our rapid
communication with foreign lands, we
should not continue TO depend wholly upon
vessels built in the yards of other countries,
and sailing under foreign flags. With no
United States steamers on the principal
ocean lines or in any foreign ports, our IA
cilites for extending our commerce are
greatly restricted, while the nations which
build and sail the ships and carry the mails
advantages in increasing their trade.
THE posroFF1cE DEPARTMENT..
The report of the postmGster-general gives
evidence of the satisfactory condition of
that 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 very
gratifying TO Congress and to the
people of the country. AS matters
which may fairly claim particular ut
tention, l refer you TO his observations in
reference to the advisability of changing the
present basis for fixing salaries and allow
ances, of extending the money-order system,
and of enlarging the functions of the postal
establishment so as to put under its control
the telegraph system of the country, though
from this last and most important recon-
mendation 1 must withhold my concurrence.
THE REDUCTION OF LETTER POSTAGE
At the last session of Congress several bills
were introduced into the House of Repre-
sentatives for the reduction of letter postage
to the rate of two cents per half ounce. L
! 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 its foundation to de-
| fray as far as possible the expenses of
carrying the mails by a direct tax
i'll the form of postage. 1t has never
| been claimed, however, that this ser
vice ought to be productive of a net revenue.
As has been stated already the report of the
postmaster general shows that there is now
very considerable surplus i'll his department,
and that henceforth the receipts are likely to
increase at a much greater ratio than the
| necessary expenditures. Unless some
change is made in the existing laws, the
profits of the postal service will in very few
years swell the revenues of the government
many millions of dollars. The time seems
auspicious, therefore, for some reduction in
the rates of postage
In what shall that reduction consist A re-
| view of the legislation which has been had
upon this subject during the last thirty years
discloses that domestic letters constitute 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 unequally
upon that class, and that more than any
other it is entitled to present relief. That
such relief may be extended without detri-
ment TO other public interests will be dis
covered upon reviewing the results OF former
reductions. Immediately prior TO the act of
1si5 the postage upon letter composed of a
single sheet was as follows : If conveyed
thirty miles or less, six centS between
; thirty and eighty miles ten cents; between
, eighty and 100 miles, twelve and one-half;
| between 100 and 400 miles, eighteen and
Iy the act of 1915 the postage upon single
letter conveyed for any distance under 3oO
gIles was fixed at five cents and for any
Itat + distance at ten cents. by the act OF
| iSJl it was provided that single letter, II
lrepaid, should be carried any distance not
exceeding 5000 miles for three cents, and
any greater distance for six cents 1t will be
noticed that both of these reductions were
, If a radical character, and relatively quite
important as that which Is now proposed.
L a 1 lose
t. of revenue, but sudden and large influx OF
} business which substantially repaired that
loss within three years. Unless the expe.
rience of past legislation in this country and
elsewhere goes for naught, 1t may be
safely predicted that the stimulus of fifty pei
centum reduction in the tax for carriage
would at once increase the number OF let
, ters consigned to the mails The advan
tages of secresy would lead to very genera
, substitution of sealed packets for posta
cards and open circulars, and in divers othel
ways the volume of tirst-class matter woulC
be enormously augmented. Such increas'
amounted in England in the first year afte
| the adoption of penny postage to more thar
| / l25 per cent. As a result of careful estimates
= the details of which cannot here be set out,
9 have become convinced that the dehclenc,
for the first year after the proposed reduction
: would not exceed seven per cent. of the ex
e penditures, or S3,00O,0OO while the defcien
cy afterthe reduction of 1Si5 was more than
a fourteen per cent, and after that of 1851
( was twenty per cent. Another inter
+ efting comparison is afforded by statistic
e furnished me by the postotlice department
2 The act of 1S45 was passed III face of tn
a fact that there existed Il deficiency Of mor
y tlSn S3OOO0. That of 1851 was encourages
y by the slight surplus Of Sl32, ,OO0 The eXces
2 of reyenGe in the next fiscal year is likely Il
= be 50, 1OO,00J.a
G ii Congress should approve these suggeH
1 tions il may be deemed desirable to suppl
a TO some extent the deficiency which must TO
+ II time result by increasing the charge to
D carrying merchandise, Which is now onl
l. 81 ,teen cents per pound, But, even withou
i such IN increase, ! am confident that the re
Il ceipts under tre diminished rates woul
a equal the expenditures after the lapse G
y three or four years.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
# The report of the department of iustic
i bring- anew to your notice the necessity {
enlargiug the presentsys.em of Federal juri'
>, prudence, so as eilectually to answer til
! requirements of the eeyer-increasing litisatiO
n with which il rs called upon to deal.
Il The attomey-gencrh lenews the sugge
j tious OF his predecessor, that in the Interest
p. of Justice better provision than the eXistin
~ laws ford should be made in certai
li,gtt, tln f,n nf