Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-01
LETTER POSTAGE REDUCTION.

LETTER POSTAGE REDUCTION.
One of the most important bills so far as
the great mass of the people is concerned
TO be brought before Congress at the coming
session, is that providing for o reduction in
the present rates Of letter postage. Every
man, woman and child In the United States
has direct personal interest in the consider
alton Of this measure. The official report of
the posloice department informs us that we
are paying the Government something over
a million dollars too much, annually, for
carrying our letters. Three cents on every
little business and social communication Of
such busy and social people as we are
amounts to a considerable item Of personal
expense, in six months or Il year. There is
great cry among good people about the
needless expense of the tobacco habit, in this
country but did ii ever occur to the phil
anthropic reformer that the needless cores
people, male and female right through, is
greater drain on the general purse And
there is this to be considered in comparing
| the relations of these two abuses the tobacco
habit is utterly and irretrievably non-reforma
BILE, while the correspondence habit equally
incurable as habit) may be.vaslly deprived
Of its evil results by simply supply
ing it with better opportunities. There
is only one feature of the correspondence ha-
bit which needs amending, and that is its en-
pense the tobccco habit would be wore
than ever If its opportunities for qualification
were increased. Cheap postage means a
large reduction in the aggregate OF per-
sonal expenditure every year, and with this
reform established, the correspondence habit
would be q blessing rather than a de,rlment
to the community,
Reduction in letter postage is sure to come
the question is, in what form? The first
plan proposed, that of changing the dcnom-
| nation of the ordinary c ter stamp from three
to two cents, is objected to by the Post
office Department as being little too
abrupt, and entaiing too large n
dimnuton of the department revenue at the
outset. Mr.. Hazen, the third assistant post
master general estimates that the decrease of
the postal revenue, not taking into account
any material increase of business caused by
the proposed reduction, would be equal to
ten million dollars year. Making an al
lowance, say, of 10 per cent year for the
increase of correspondence due to the reduc-
ton, the estimate of annual deficiency would
be reduced to $1,000, 600 per year. This, at
the very best, is considerable of Il deficiency,
aud would probably require larger appropri-
ations to offset it than Congress would be
willing to grant
The scheme which the postmastcr-gcneral
announces himself to be in favor Of seems to
us mere begging of the question: reform
which will be almost of no practical benefit
to the mas5 of the people. He proposes to
satisfy the demand for cheaper postage by
furnishing stamped letter envelopes for the
same price AS is asked for stamps alone. This
venencc sake usually buy the stamped en-
velopes in quantity. but for the poor man,
who commonly has no difficulty in borrow
ing y or stealing his stationary, and IS OILY
put to straits for stamp, and for
ladies, who will use nothing bat the man
slrd-roof envelope with the terracotta
monogram. it would be no accommo-
dation at all, but rather an inconvenience.
Thus the very class of people whom the pro-
posed postal reduction is intended TO benefit
would be considerably put out of cpistplory
joint by the additional expense and incon-
gruity OF the new plan. If three cent stamp
ed envelopes were sold at the same rate as
three cent stamps, the saving to the pur-
chaser would be only about one cent on five
letters, instead of one cent on each letter.
On the whole, in case no better solution of
the problem presents itself, we are inclined
to think the plan Of reducing the letter rate
to two cents will find most favor with the
friends of cheap postage. 1t is understood
that the first assistant Po.tmaster-G General,
Mr., Ilutton, is in favor of this PLAN aud that
the bi. cmbodying it will be strongly pushed
al the coming SESSION of Congress. In case
the amendment Is passed, the new rate of
letter postage is to take effect July /, 1888