Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-15
NIX. MONEY SAVES THE GOVERN.
MENT Sf.OOO.GOO.

One Of the popular measures of the day ia
cheap postage. The present rate of letter
postage is much more than the cost of trans
porting that class OF matter, and to the ex-
tent of tHut EXCESS, 10 a tax on correspond
ence. A great many people believe that the
transmission of intelligence is not proper
object for taxation, and hence the popular
demand that the rates be reduced from three
TO two cents. The Senate and House COM
mittees have the matter under consideration,
and the time is not fa- distant when the re-
duction will be made, although it meets with
strong opposition from the postofice depart
ment. In a recent letter 10 Senator Ferry,
| the postmaster-general says that sit may
| safely be affirmed that no reduction can be
made in the present rates without leading to
serious diminution of the revenue" The
postm aster-general cites several reductions
in the past, which seem to sustain this view.
In the letter above referred TO, he makes the
gratifying announcement that for the first |
time in many years the receipts exceed the |
expenditures. The causes which brought |
this about will be interesting to note. The |
letter says:
For the present fiscal year it is probable that the
receipts will exceed the expenditures, owing IN 1
part TO material retrenchments in the cost OF star
and steam boat service but more largely 70 an e1-
traordnary increase IN the receipts occasloneu Dy
late Postmaster General Maynard, of section Of |
The postal regulations (sec: 81, regulations OF
alarge quaint y of partially written matter which
had been, previous 70 the adoption OF the reguIa-
So greatly did this change effect the revenues
the increase for the present over the past fiscal
year will closely Approximate s5'OOOOoO.
T.. l. IL. IL.
in the revenue of 100000 is mainly due
to the reversal of section 232 of the postal /
regulations. Strange as 1t may appear, il
took the most persistent effort to induce the
department finally TO revoke this regulation,
and for this good work the country is in
debted solely to the Hon. H. D. Money, OF
Mississippi, at that time chairman of the
House Committee on Postofice and Post
roads. Mr.. Money made several trips to
New York, at his own expense, 10 investigate
the loss to the revenue at that great Office.
He found that it would amount to quarter
of million dollars annually at this single |
office. He then offered and had adopted in
the House, January 9, 1880, the following
resolution:
be- and ne is hereby. requested 10 inform the |
House, at his earliest convenience, what effect |
clauses four and five OF section 2s2 OF postal laws
and regulations have upon the postal revenue: and
also under what section of the law classifying |
mail matter and regulating rates of postage there
on, said regulation 232 ordered by the post |
master -general.
Mr.. Key made an evasiye reply. The
committee decided that the law classifying .
mail matter could not be made palmer, and Il.
hat no legislation could reach the difficulty.
Mr.. Money then called on Mr.. Key, pointed
Tut the great loss occasioned by the regula-
ion and urged him to revoke it, but the
asy, good-natured postmaster general took
10 action. When Mr.. Magyar assumed the
flee of postmaster-general Mr.. Money re-
,eatedly called his attention to the result of
he regulation, and finally succeeded in get
ing him sufficiently interested in the matter I
o cause it to be referred to the Jaw officer of t
he department, who decided that the regula- I
ion was contrary to law. II was thereupon
evoked, with the beneficial result above c
oted. 1t ia well known to the members of q
be Postofice Committee of the Forty-sixfh q
congress, and to officers of the department, I
hat but for the persistent efforts of Mr..
ioney the regulation would still be in force
o-day. To Mr.. Money the country is in il
ebted for a saving of at least 100000, t
rought about in quiet way, not calculated P
, advertise his efforts, but none the less il
fective in its good results. il