National Republican., 1882-07-01
REDUCING POSTAL RATES.
What Postmaster-Gencrai Howe Says of
it-A Few Figures.

Senator Ferry chairman of the Senate Commit
tee on Post Offices and Post Roads, has re-
ceived communication fro IN Postmaster General
Howe respecting o proposition which the COM
mittce have under consideration-to reduce the
rate of postage on letters from three to two cents
and on newspapers to half the present rate.
The Postmaster General in his letter takes decided
grounds against any reduction of letter rates, and
thinks none can be made without leading to a
serious dminution of postal revenue He says:
"The Department has no precise informa-
ton as to the amount of postage realized
on letters. All postages are now collected by
means Of postage stamps, and the revenue
same kind of stamps are used promiscuously for
first, third and fourth class matter aud hsaes II
amount is used for each of the several classes Of
matter. While, therefore, the exact amount can
hot ne Of G e Sewaen snS
cent of the entire postal receipts.
THE DEFICIENCY IN THE POSTAL REVENUE
for the year ended June 30 1881, was stated in the
to which is to be added considerable sum, not
yet fully ascertained ON account of the outstand-
ing indebtedness existing at the time the report
ble that the receipts will exceed the expenditures,
owing in part to material retrenchments in the
cost of star and steamboat services, but more
largely to an extraordinary increase In the re |
ceipts occasioned by the reversal on the 2lst Oh
February 1881, by the late Postmaster: Genera
mitting into the mails at third class rates larg
quantity of partially written matter which ha
been previously to the adoption of the regulatio
and Is now subject to letter rates of postage. M
greatly did this change affect the revenues tn
the ~
INCREASE FOR THE PRESENT
over the past fiscal year will closely approxin M
S., 100000. This however, is an abnormal g M
and the increase for the next over the pref
fiscal year must be expected to fall far sho
those figures. But still farther reduction in A
cost of star and steamboat service under rev {3
tracts, to take effect on the LIST of July, toge#
with natural increase in the receipts, Will
moderate estimate upon the basis of existing
of postage, result in surplus of receipts Of sly
in the aggregate expenditures gr
service. 1T must be EVIDENT. a
ter postage be reduced to two cents,
from there being surplus, a large sum
needed from the Treasury, in addition
postal receipts, to meet the expenditures
postage on letters cannot be reduced OH
with safety to the revenue. The 'propSH
such reduction Is matter peculiarly 9ddl XII
the discussion OF Congress. Undoubtedly w
ent rate on first clnSs matter is much M
| just compensation for the cost of traI
| that matter. To the extent OF that exceset
AJAX on CORRESPONDENTS.
| How far that is proper subject for taxaN
| question upon which have no special OF
| ties for forming an opinion. That is pureH
] lative and not an administrative quesH
| reply to the inquiry with regard to the
of newspaper postage, the Postmas
| incloses a copy of Il communication n
| dressed by him to the House of RepreS
| in response 10 resolution of that body
| he says: But for the express comulE
| House of Representatives, should ha. n
| to express an opinion as to the propriet&
| ing postage on second class matter II
| i have no exclusive or exceptional meg
| ing an opinion on the subject; nev
| opinion is that such postage should bN