New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-17

third on them, leaving profit of only ten cents
pound"
DO you hear of any demands by the public for
"No. | do not but there is continual demand Tor
more efficient service. Plenty OF matter Is WIFI
held for lack of it. This talk about cheap postage
benefing the working classes and farmers 10 any
extent ls not sensible, as they are Inc ones WIZ Nv
very little letter writing Business letters oI .llo
largest proportion Who is gong TO Wtlee any i,'oi1
letters because they may he sent foi Two cell.S &
is the necessity or inclination not the cost that
regulates letter writing Because reuucIlon Vi
postage rates in Great Britain iii lSlo causeu an III
crease of 100 pei cent IN forty years u Is not Ger
tain that reduced postage rates woulh hnNe we
same effect here The postal system OF country oil
the size of ours is much dill srent from that oil COM
pact little continent like Great liritaln,
What use would you suggest should be made OF
the present surplus revenue IN improving the
efficiency of the Department /" -
Well, the post offices in little towns ana villages
concern a comparatively small nnmDei OF "opc,
and if they have money order ana registered ietter
depaI tment and two or three mails day, t1at is
about all that can he done for them. and all they
can expect. The Improvement is needed IN Tue
large cities Money order, registered letter and
stamp stations should be more numerous ana more
convenient. The deliveries and collections should
he made much Oitencr where there II such a volume
of important business The post-oifce should he as
trustworthy and expeditions as private messen,
ger. do not that II could exceed that standard
of efficiency. The time between sending a note ana
getting an answer should he made as snort as pos
sihlc. The more efficient the service the more IL
will he used. Not cheaper rates, they are cheap
enough but greater speed and safety ale what Is
needed TO increase the volume of matter handled.
ii there is large surplus after the service Is made
perfect, then it would be well perhaps to reduce
the rates" o.. ,,,
what do you think of the proposition to abolish
the hostage on second class matter letting regularly
published newspapers and periodicals circulate
free y
" do not think it wise, and il should he opposed
by all respectful bic newspapers and periodicals Tor
this reason: There are a great many cheap, adver-
tisng periodicals that would he sent through the
mails free of postage under the gulse of regular
publications. Many persons, if they could get
plenty of this kind of literature TO read would DO
without the respectable journals which, take II,
aim To disseminate good reading matter. The
latter would therefore lose in subscriptions and adj
yertsing through tins cheap competition. We have
10 he very vigant now to keep this cheap adver-
Using class of literature from being sent as second
class matter. Then, in the interest of the Govern
ment this class of matter should bc made to pay
least two cents ont of the twenty-five cents pound
which it costs to carry it. Printed matter forms
the LARGEST bulk Of the mails and the most dead
weight The men who cancel and handle news
papers need more skill than those who handle
letters. and they require more Time to handle the
same humber of pieces Should the postage he
abolished second class matter, its bulk would tie
likely to increase as 10 need much larger force
of clerks, and then the cheap pull LEGATIONS would be
likely to load mp the routes and delay letters ana
legitimate second class matter"