The daily Cairo bulletin., 1883-12-12
Local News.


Postmaster General Gresham recon-
mends changes id the postal rates as fol-
Iowa.: He thinks the unit OF weight for
rating 6rst-clsss matter-i. e., letter post
age-should be changed from half an ounce
to sn ounce. This, in connection with the
recent reduction, would pisce this country
on on equality with any other in respect to
cheap postage, for Great Britain maintains
more liberal unte of weight than the
United States. Thus one ounce in the Uni
ted States requires four cents, in England
two; two ounces here require eight cents,
and there three; four ounces here sixteen,
and there four; eight ounces here thirty
two, and there six. 1t is believed that the
loss would be very small, the people further
accommodated, and larger proportion OF
fourth-clsss matter would be sent under
seal, paying first-class postage. The post
age on third-clsss matter, embracing news
paper, is one cent per two ounces, while
many of the larger newspapers weigh more
than two ounces. There seems to be a
popular impression that one cent . copy ID
the uniform rate for all newspapers. Mos,
persons deposit in postoffices newspapers
weighing more than two ounces with one
cent stamp on them. They are not entitled
to be sent, and are not. This creates dis
satisfaction. In order to obviate this, he
recommends that the rate of postage on
newspapers and periodicals sent by others
than the publishers or news agents be made
one cent per three ounces.
Col. Lord, secretary OF the bureau of
labor statistics, will SOON publish supple.
mcnt to the regular report of that bureau
in which be will give information about
the location and character of each mine in
the State, together with the number Of men
employed, prices paid for labor, number OF
tons produced, the value OF the same at the
mines, the amount Of capital invested, the
number, character and causes OF accidcntl
and detailed account Of the Braidwooc
and Coultervile disasters. 1t will alsC
contain mention of the strikes which have
occurred, their causes and results and Al
inierestiog account of the Inauguration o
the mine inspection system, together with
map showing the inspection districts. Thi
supplemental report will show that forty
nine counties of the State produce coal
that there are in Illinois $50 mines: tina
ll9,898 acres Of land are controlled b,
| mine owners; that 1899 acres have beef
worked out; that 23,939 men are engaged
in the mining business; that 10,50s,79
tons were produced in the year 1928, be
| ing an increase of 81 1893, 1873 tons over til
year lS8l-S2; that the value OF the Goa
produced in 1889 SO at the mines was SIS,
3l0, ,529; that the capital employed in min
ing il $l0,398,540; that the estimated
capacity of annual production is 2l,O35,
4S5 tons. The increase in the number o
counties producing coal, during the yeal
was thres-Csss, Edgar and Macon. O
employees there are two classes-thos
working under ground and those outside
OF the former there are 20,sS9; Of the LAT
ter 8, 100, q total Of 23,939, an increase c
2,849 over 1882. These together with thei
families are estimated to be equivalent t
100000 people, gaining their support fror
this great industry.