Morris tribune., 1882-12-14
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Concluded from Second Page.

OF extending the money order system, and OF
charging the functions of postal establish
ments 80 as to have under its control the tele-
graph system Of the country, though from
this last and most important Recommendation
l must withhold my concurrence
At the last session OF congress several bills
were introduced into the house OF representa-
hves for the reduction of letter postage to the
rate of cents per half ounce. / have given
much study and reflection to this, subject and
am thoroughly persuaded that such reduc-
ton would be for the best interests of the pub.
lie. 1t has been the policy of the government
from the foundation TO defray as far as pos
slble, the expenses OF carrying the mails by O.
tax in the form OF postage. 1t has never
been claimed, however, that this service ought
10 DO productive of . net revenue
As has been stated already, the report OF the
postmaster general shows that there is now u
very considerable surplus in his department.
and that henceforth the receipts are likely to
incresce in o much greater ratio than the nee
essary expenditures. Unless some change is
made III the existing laws, the profits OF the
postal service will, in q very few years. swell
the revenues of the government many millions
ofdollars. The time seems auspiclons there
fore, toc some reductions the rates
OF postage II what shall the
reduction consistl A review of the legiea,
ton which has been had upon this subject
during the last thirty years discloses that do
mestlc letters constitute the only class of mail
matter which has never been favored by sub
6tantIal reduction of rates. | am convinced
that the burden OF maintaining the service fRlla
most unequally upon that class and that more
than any other it is entitled to present relief
That such relief may be extended without det-
rNent to other public interests will be DIS
covered upon reviewing the
RESULTS OF FORMER REDUCTIONS.
Immediately prior TO the act of
1915, the postage upon a letter composed
of a single sheet was as follows:
If conveyed thirty miles or less 6 cents, be-
tween thirty and eighty miles 30 cents. be-
tween eighty and $50 miles 121a cents, be-
tween $50 and 400 miles 1873. cents, over
400 miles 20 cents. BY the act of 1915 the
postage upon single letter conveyed ANY dis
lance under 800 miles was fixed at > cents,
snd for any greater distance at 10 cents.
BY the act Of 1881 it WAS provided that
single letter, il prepaid, should be carried any
distance not exceadlSg 500 miles for 3 cents.
and any greater distance for 8 cents. 1t will ,
be noticed that both of these reductions were
OF radical character, and relatively quite as
important as that now proposed In each case
there ensued temporary less OF revenue by
q sudden and large influx of business which
substantially paid that loss in three years
Unless the experience OF past legislation In this
country and elsewhere goes for naughL it NAV
be safely predicted that stimulus OF
90 Fer cent reduction in the tax for carriage
Would at once Increase the number of letters
consigned to the mails. The advantages of
secrecy would lead to very general substitu-
ton of sealed packets for postal cards and
open circulars, and in divers other ways the
Yolume Of frst-class matter would be enor-
mouslv augmented. Such increase amounted
in England, in the fret year after TIL adoption
of penny postage, 10 more than 125 per cent
As result of a careful estimate, the 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 S., OOO,-
600 while the deficiency after the reduction
Of 1910 was more than IA per cent, and
after that of 1851 was p per cent Another
interesting comparison is afforded by statistics
furnished me by the postoffico departments
The act OF 1915 was passed in the face of the
fact that there existed deficiency Of more
than $50, 900 That of 1851 was encouraged
ov the slight surplus of 1882. 900 The
excess Of revenue in the next fiscal
year is likely TO be So 800 600
If congress should approve these suggestions
it may be deemed desirable to supply TO some
extent the deficiency which must for time re-
suit by increasing the charge for carrying mer-
cnandise, which is now only l6 cents per
pound. But without such an increase am
confident the receipts under the diminished
rates would equal the expenditures after q
lapse of three or four years.