The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-12-07
THE posrorr1cE DEPARTMENT.

department, and contains MANY valuable data
fail TO be of Interest The information which 1t
affords that the receipts for the fiscal year have
exceeded tine ex enditures must be very graft
country. Az matters which may fairly claim
particular attention, l refer you TO his
observations. In reference to the adj
for liking salaries and allowances;
Of extending the money-ordcr system: of en-
arsng the functions OF the posta establish
graph system of the country, though from this
last and most important recommendation !
must withhold my concurrence.
LETTER POSTAGE.
AT the last session OF Congress-, several bills
were introduced into the House Of Representa-
tives for the reduction OF letter postage to the
much study and reflection to this subject, and
am thoroughly persuaded that such reduction
would be for the best interests Of the public
from its foundation to defrav, a. Tar as pos
siblc, the expenses Of carving the mails by \
direct tax in the form Of postage, and It has
ought to hc productive Of q net revenue. A has
been stated already, the report Of the Postmas-
ter General shows that there Is now very con-
henceforth the receipt. are likely 10 Increase as
a much greater ratio than the neces-
sary. expenditures Unless some change
Is made IN the existing laws, tie profits Of the
post al service will In q very few years swell the
revenues OF the Government many millions
dollars The time seems auspicious, therefore,
for some reduction In the rates Of postage. In
what shall that reduction consist review Il
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 reductions OF rates. am convinced
that the burden of maintaining the service falls
unequaily upon that class, and that mere than
any other 1t Is entitled to present it
self That such relief may be extended
to other public interests. will be discov-
cred upon reviewing the results of former reduc-
tions. Immediately prior to the act Of ls4a, the
postage upon letter COMPOSED of a single sheet
was follows: II conveyed 30 miles or less,
cents; between 50 and so miles, 10 cents: between
~ and 150 miles, 121e cents; between $50 and i00
;. es, 1921 cents; over 400 miles 25 cents. By
the act of isis, the postage upon single lettDr
conveyed for any distance under .a0 miles was
fixed at cents. and for any greater distance at
10 cents. By the act OF 1851 II was provided that
single letter, If prepaid, should be carried any
distance not exceeding 1, ,oo0 miles for cents, and
that both Of these reductions we're Of radical
charac cr and relatively quite rs important
as that which Is now proposed. In each
but sudden and large influx Of business fol-
lowed which substantially repaired that loss
within three years. Unless the experience OF
goes for naneht, II may be safely predicted that
the stimulus OF 81 per cent. reduction In tax
for carriage would at once increase the number
Of letters e CONSIGNED I, the y mails The adyan van
stitution OF sealed packets for postal cards and
open circulars, and in divers other ways the
volume OF first-class matter would be enor-
mously augmented. Such increase amounted in
England, in the first year after the adoption Of
penny postage. to more than 125 per cent. As
the result OF careful estimates, the details
OF which cannot tie hesc set ont, / have bee me
convinced that the deficiency fer the first yc r
ftcr the proposed reduction woald no exceed :
per cent OF the expenditures. or S3Na0.ooo. while
the deficiency, after the reduction Of lsi5, was
more than IA per cent, and. after that of 1851.
was q pr cent. Another Interesting COMPARE
son is afforded by statistics furnished me by
passed in the fac Of the fret that there existed
deficiency of more than $50 CO., That of ls5l
was encouraged BY the slight surplus of sls2..
90 The excess of revenue in the next fiscal
I, year Is likely To be 81, 500 900.
Ii Congress should approve these suggestions,
/ IL may be deemed desirable to supply to some
! extent the deficiency which must Tor a time re-
/ suit by increasing the charge tor carrying mer-
chandise. which Is now only Ii cents per pound.
1 But, even without such an increase. am cona-
dent that the receipts under the diminished rates
would equal the expenditures after the lapse Of
! three or four years.
/ The report of the
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
/ brings anew to Your notice the necessity OF en-
i larging the present system Of Federal jurispru-
dcnce, 50 as to effectnaly answer the require
ments OF the ever-increasing litigation with
which ii Is called upOn to deal.
The Attorney General renews the suggestions
ct his predecessor that, In the interests of JUS
tlc1. better PROVISION tnan tile existing laws al
ford should lie made in certain judicial districts
for liking the fees OF witnesses and Jurors
Inmy message Of December last referred TO
bending criminal proceedings growing out OF al
legged irands-what IL known the
STAR-ROUTE
service of the Pos. office Department--and adj
Nised you ! had enjoined upon the Attorney
General and associate counsel to whom the in
terests Of the Government were intrusted the
duty OF prosecuting. with the utmost vigor OF
the law. ali persons who misht be found
cha fala II A iris nfn9 ~
these cases has since occurred. t occupied for
nany weeks the attention of the Supreme Court
OF this district and wa con.suc Ell with great
zeal and ability. 1t resulted in disagreement
OF the Jury hut the cause has been again placed
upon ihe calendar and will shortly be retired
II any sniltypersens shall finally escape punish.
inent for their ofenses, it will not be for lack o
dillgent and earnest efforts on the part of the
prosecution.
trust that some agreement may be reached
which will speedily enable Congress- vii h the
concurrence OF the Execntis TO AFFORD the com
mereal community the benefits of a ma ional
I BANKRUPT LAW.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
with its accompanying documents, presents a
fn statement OF the varied operations OF that
department. In respecs II
THE INDIANS,
nothing has occurred whica has changed o.
seriously modified the views to which devotet
much sEaee In a former communication to Con
grcsS. renew the recommendation herein con
'aincl "a TO extending to the Indian the protec
ton os the law allotting land in seyeraty I.
such as desire il. and making suitable provision
Tor 'hc education of youths. Such PROV sion ii
iha Secretary forcihlv maintains will prove una
yailing unless IL Il bread enough to include al
who are able and willing to make use Of 1t. An,
should not solely relate to intellectual training
bnt also to instruction in such manual lal,o
and simple industrial arts as can he made prac
ticaliy available.
Among the Important subjects which are I'M
cliidei within the Secretarys reports. whicl
will doubtless furnilh occasion for Congress
innal action. may be mentioned the neglect q
n, railroad companies 70 which large grants |.
land We're made by the acts II 1864 and 1861 Z
take title thereto. and their consequent ineamt
abe exemption from loca; taxation.
EDUCATION
No survey Of our material condition can fail 4
suggest INQUIRIES as to the moral and intellectual
progress ot the people. The census returns dis
c;ose an ala.min. state Of iliiteracy i'll certain
parts of the country where the provision 10
schools Is grossly inadeqnate. II Is 4 moment
a,ls question for til. decision III Congress
whether immediate substantial rid should l.
extended by the General Government for sup
pleInenting the efforts OF private henefcencs
and of State and Territorial legislation in bchal
of education. The regulation of
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
has already been the subject ef vonr uelibela
tions. One Of the incidents of the marvelou
extension of the railway system OF the eountr
has been the adoption of such measures hy th
corporations which own or control the reads a
las tended to inpairt advantages of health
fnl competition. and make hurstul discrimina
tinns i'll the adjustment OF frcightage. Thes
nave heen cofTecteI III rtNtfal u
the States by appropriate legislation, the effec
of which Is neces-a lily restricted to the limi,
ct their territory. So far as snch mischief
affect commerce between he States or bet9ee
any one of the st,tes and a farei.n count. ,
they are subjects at national concern, aud Con
" ess a'One can afford relief.
THE SUPPRESSION ar rolYaAAtY
The results which have THUS Tar attended til
enforcement OF the recent statute for tho SUI,
preston Of pulygamy In tie Territories are re
ported hS the Secretary IT the Interior. Ii !
not probable ihas any additional legislation Il
this regard will lie deemed desirable until tn
effect OF existing laws shall he more close'y Oh
served AMI studied. | congratulate YOU that til
Commissioners under whose supervision thus
laws have betn put in q. a.sration encourage
10 believe that I'll Evil ai which they aim ina
hc suppressed Mitlleat resort u such radica
Mcasures ~ In some una,teIs have been though.
Indispensable for success.
The close relation uf the General Govcrnmen
70 the Territories preparing to be great State
may well engase Your special attention. IL
there that the Indian disturbances mainly necni
and that poiNga has found faem for Il
growth cannot doubt that careful survey g
Territorial legislation Muad be- af the highes
utility Life and property would become mor
secure. The liability nj outbreaks between In
dians aud whites would he t.ssened The publ
domain would lac more securely guarded, an