The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-12-07
THE POSTQFFICES.
1EFAbpp DNprI1p

evidence OF the satisfactory condition Of that
department, and contains many valuable data
and accompanying suggestions which cannot
fail to be Of interest. The information which It
affords that the receipts for the fiscal year ex-
doedea the expenditures must be very crafty
ing to congress and to the people Of the coun-
try. As matters which may fairly claim par
ticular attention, refer to bis observations in
reference to the ACCESSIBILITY Of changing the
present basis for fixing salaries and allowances,
Of extending the money order system, and of
enIarginS the functions OF postal establish
ments 30 a6 to have Under it's control the te!e-
graph system of the country, thougt' 'rom
this last and most important recommendation
I must withhold my concurrence.
At the last session OF congress several bills
we're introduced into the house of representa-
tvee for the reduction Of letter postage to the
rate Of 2 cents por half ounce have given
much study and reflection TO this, subject and
am thoroughly persuaded that such q reduc-
ton would bo for the best interests Of the pub
lie. It has been the policy Of the government
from the foundation to defray, as far as pos
sibie, the expenses Of carrying the mails by
direct tax in the form OF postage. 1t has never
been claimed, however, that this service ought
As hes been stated already, the report Of the
postmaster general shows that there is 10"
very considerable surplus in his department..
and that henoeforth the receipts are likely to
increase In q much greater ratio than the neo-
esrary expenditures. Unless some change is
MAIDS in the existing laws. the profits OF the
postal service will, in very few years. swell
the revenues Of the government many millions
osdolara The time seems auspic,ous, there
fore, for some reductions III the rates
Of g"sts se..t In rev what ., t shs epsa
ton which has been had upon this subject
during the lsst thirty years discloses that do
mestio letters constitute the oulv class OF mail
matter which has never been favored by sub
stantial reduction Of rates. / am CONVINCED
that the burden of maintaining the service falls
most unequaily upon that class aud that more
thxn any other it 10 entitled to present relief.
That such relief may be extended without det-
ri:nent to other public interests will DO dis
covered upon reviewing the
RESULTS oS FORMER REDUCTIONS.
1mmediassly prior to ,t the n act OF
Of single sheet was az follows:
Il conveyed thirty miles or lees cents. be-
tween thirty and eighty miles 10 cents, be-
tween eighty and $50 miles 1212 oents, be-
tween $50 aud 900 miles 1884 cents. over
400 miles rs cents; BY the az. OF ao4o tn the
lance under 800 miles was hxed at 3 cents,
and for any greater distance at 10 conts
By the act Of 1851 it was provided that q
sinpls letter. if prepaid, should be carried any
distance not exceeding 800 miles for cents,
and any greater distance for 6 cents: 1t will
be noticed that both Of thess reductions were
Of rsdics! character, and relatively quite as
important as thai row proposed. In each case
there ensued temporary loss Of revenue by
= sudden add large infux Of buslness which
substantially paid that lose IN three years
ttnless the experience Of past legislation II this
country and elsewhere goes for naught, 1t may
be safely predicted that stimulus OF
so per cent reduction in the tax for carriage
wolnd at once increase the number Of letters
consigned to the malls Tho advantages OF
secrecy would lead to a very general subst1tu-
ton Of sealed packets for postal cards ana
open circulars, and In divers other ways the
volume Of fret-elass matter would be enor-
inously augmented. Such increase amounted
in England, in the first year after ths adoption
of penny postage, to more than 40 per cont
AZ q result Of careful estimate, tue details OF
which cannot here be set out, have become
convinced that the deficiency for the first year
after the proposed reduction would not exceed
= per cent Of the expenditures. or SIS, 600.
OtO. while the deficiency after the reduction
Of I845 was more than IA per cent, and
after that Of 1851 wac ~ per cent. Anc
Interesting comparison il afforded by statistics
furnished me by tho postofhoe department.
The act of 1945 was passed in the face OF the
fact that thore existed deficiency OF more
by The slight surplus Of $l32. ooo rhe
excess Tssp is is likely ief'' to be So, $500, 900
L kSo Congress should approve these suggestions
Il may be deemed desirable to supply to some
extent the deficiency which must for time re-
suit by increasing the oharge-for carrying mer-
chandise, which Is now only IL cents pei
nonnd. But without such an increase am
Confident the receipts under the diminished
rates would equal the expenditures after
lapse Of three or four years