Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-12-20
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
Extracts from POstmaster-GeneraI Gresh-
ANS Report.
S144.553.34


was the net revenue from the money-order
| business. The expenditures of the year, not
/ including the amount credited to the Pacific
Railway Companies, was $685. 700. The to-
| tai estimated surplus of revenue over total
cost for the year was $I0O1.251. In addition
to these expenditures $466y243 was paid on ac-
! count Of liabilities for previous years. The
receipts were S3,6a2, 2S2, or SO per cent. more
| Chan or the previous year. The increase in
| the item of pay to POstmasters was Sl350.7I7
| 10 per cent. moro than for the previous year.
The estimated total cost of railroad transpor-
| tat1on Tor the year was S12, 1882. AS COM
| pared with the previous year there was a de-
! crease in the expenditure for star service Of
| SIO42S3 or 19 per cent. The aggregate APP
| preparations for the service of the year were
! Sl,254, 899 more than the total expenditures
and estimated liabilities The receipts and
| expenditures for the fiscal year ending Juno
| 30 1885 are estimated as follows: Receipts,
TO be credited TO the Pacific Railroad Com
Danies, $50. U62, 189.
The total number of post-offces is now A.
| S63, or ,632 more than last year. OF these
! 2, lab are filed by the President. The total
! number of departmental officers and employees
| is 55S, an increase of 81; of Postn asters and
other officers snd agents. 6O,O2O, an increase
The star service shows a cost of 81, 739 478,
with u, $50, 76$ miles or annual transportation,
against cost of 81 321, 4S9 with 76,010915 miles
! of transportation in 1850, being an increase of
1S21 1877 miles OF transportation, and S%,502, O2l
! decrease in cost.
There has been d satisfactory increase of
! the mOney-Order business. The 3Oth of last
/
| operation, which issued domestic orders
amounting to Sill, 400 and paid domestic
| orders amounting to $II7,344, 81. The inter-
national orders issued were 81, II, 632, and in
| ternatiOnal orders paid S3,O63, 49,.
| The new postal notes are being extensively
! employed. Those paid at the New YOrk City
POst-office from September To October 20
numbered 1874 and amounted to SlO6,e54;
/ velopes and postalcards issued during the
year was 1851 ,6o9 669, and the value $42, &c.,
! 3l9. The largest item was ordinary postage
Gfg SraEv
! 800, valued at S3O,3U7, 179. The amounts of
! postage collected on secOnd-class matter was
$l,7O5177. OF this 26.40 per cent. was collected
| at New York, 837 per cent at Chicago, go
per cent. at Boston, and $40 per cent. at Phil
| aGelphia. The new mode of treating held
! toI-postage matter, by which the addresses
| are invited by Postmasters to remit the post
age and get the matter directly from the
mailing office, was found to work so salts
! factorily at the free delivery Office that it
has been extended to all the Presidential of
! fees.
through the registered mails was IL, 534 716, of
! which 7,S49,S26 were domestic letters. The
total weight of the mails sent to postal union
countries, exclusive OF Canada, was 255z,99O
pounds. OF these 41.32 per cent. of the letters
and Abs per cent. OF the printed matter, sam
| pies, etc., were sent to Great Britain; and
23.Ol per cent. of the letters and F7.3O OF the
prints, etc.. to Germany. The cost OF the
! ocean transportation of mails was $685. an
| increase of $50, 354 over the preceding year.
There seems to be a popular impression that
one cent copy is the uniform rate Tor all
| newspapers. Many persons deposit in pest
| Offices newspapers weighing more than two
ounces with One-cent stamp on them. They
| not. This creates dissatisfaction. In order to
! Obviate this it is recommended 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.
The POstmaster-General is invested with
authority to issue an order fOrbiddIng the
payment of money orders or the delivery OF
registered letters to any person whom he be-
heves to be running lottery scheme. His
decision Of the question of fact is final and
conclusive, and his action is not subject to
judicial review. The power of Congress to
enact such laws cannot be doubted, and the
order in question is of binding force.
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The impression widely prevails that our
means OF Geographic communication should
not be limited to such as are furnished by pri-
vate companies which enjoy monopoly and
claim to be exempt from Government control
in their relations with the public. Several
substitutes for the present system have been
suggested: % The acquisition and operation
of the existing lines by the Government. ~
The construction by the Government of lines
which it will operate in competition with ex-
listing companies 81 The creation of a COM
pany by which lines of telegraph are to be
supplied to the Capital Of each State, and
other places having a given number of inhao-
itants or where stations are now maintained,
or the business OF the country may hereafter
require them. The company, in cOnsideta
ton of the special powers conferred by Con-
gress. Is, at certain reduced rates to be pre-
paid by stamps, to transmit messages at a
compensation to be paid by the United States
not to exceed ten per centum upon its author
lied capital stock over and above operating
expenses. The Government is obliged to
furnish at each station the requisite accom-
3 mOdatiOnS for the officers employed in the
I transaction of business aud to assume the
duty of receiving messages, and delivering
! by mail or otherwise such transmitted.
7 merely state in the most general form the
leading features of each of these plans. 1t
( will be perceived that they are essentially
different. The first two contemplate that the
| Government shall own and operate the lines,
including all the necessary apparatus and
the third that a company than be employed to
perform the required service at stipulated
compensation.
! From the best consideration which have
been enabled TO bestow upon the subject,
: have reached the conclusion that Congress
! has the constitutional power in providing for
the postal service of the country to avail it,
self of all the facilities devised by the invent
: i've genius OF modern times for transmitting
: messages and intelligence. and that it has full
authority to adopt either OF the trst bWO plans
! which have mentioned.
The establishmentand operation of q postai
{ telegraph as monopoly or in competition
+ with private companies would it is insisted
: reduce rates when are row exor6ttant, and
a protect the public against the abuses and
evils deemed to be inseparable from the serv-
!, ice as 1t exists. In either event an enormous
+ expense must be incurred. But without dwell
ing upon that consideration it is clear that an
. efficient execution Of either plan viii neces-
Z | sarily involve the employment of a multitude
o of operators, messengers, mechanics aud
: ! patronage of the Government An in-
4 dispensable to the public service is to be
E deprecated and avoided, and it is one of the
y | dangers which threaten the purity and dura
4 ton of our institutions. In Europe the tele
. graph is under the control of the public au
. thorites. With US the Administration is the
4 Government in action, and may. for the time
q being and for all practical purposes. be con
q sid9red the Government itself. In seasons oil
! political excitement, ard to some extent al
n I other times, Is there not ground for seriOu!
3 apprehension that the telegraph. under the
, / exclusive control of the dominant party
. / might be abused TO promote partisan purpose:
E and perpetuate the power of the Adminlstra
r tionI But il it could be kept entirely freE
D from such influence should hesitate to Sane
Z ton a measure providing that the United
+ States shall become the proprietor of tele
f graph lines and operate them by its Officers
b and agents
e I have endeavored to maintain the author
n ity of Congress to assume control OF the tele
d graph because it has been and still is serious
" disputed The existing companies operat,
their lines solely for the purpose OF making
money, and while it is doubtless true tina
o their rates as whole are unreasonable, ye
IS in view Of what has already been said 1 dt
: not think the evils complained of ara :,