National Republican., 1883-05-07
THE PRIVATE POSTAL CONCERNS
How They Have Encroaehed on Uncle
Sans BusIncss-CIear Violations OF the
Lnw-Thc Prosecutions Begun.

How They Have Encroached on Uncle
SANS BusIncss-CIear Violations OF the
Law-Thc Prosecutions Begun.
Officers of the Postofhce department, in
reply to inquiries with regard to the proceed
ings recently taken TO close the private postal
companies in New York city, say that so far
as the investigation has gone, IL seems to
show that the most fragrant vioators Of law
are the companies known MS "Husseys Ex-
press" BOyd's Dispatch Post" Tho Man
haitian District Telegraph company" and the
United States Circular Delivery company"
the two organizations last named being one
and the snme company. The prosecution of
this unlawful business by such companies,
postoflico officers here say, not only results in
loss of large revenue TO the department,
but materially and in many ways interferes
with the proper conduct Of the United States
postal business, and brings undcscrved dis
credit upon the postal administration. In
vestigatlon shows that in many cases business
men in New York have given letters to sub
ordinates TO mail with money to pay postage
ut government rates, and that such subordin-
ates instead of mailing the letters in the post
office have given them to one of the private
postal companies which would deliver them
moro Chcaply than the government, and have
thcn pockcted the difference between private
aud government rates. Many of these letters
havo been lost or delayed, and the writers
attributing such loss or delaysto the United
States postal authorities havo made COM
plant of had service to the department which
was In no way responsible therefor.
The Boyd aud Hussey companies make col.
lections and deliveries only twice a day,
while the regular government carriers de-
liver and collect from eight to twenty times
daily. IL Is not true, therefore, hat the pri-
vato postal companies are patroni2cd because
their service is better than that of tho gov
ernment. There cannot be any reasonable
complaint, postoflice officials say, concerning
the dispatch and delivery of mailsat the New
York oitico with tho very liberal facilities
which the department has provided. Tho
only advantage which these private postal
companies have over the government is that
of lower rates. Many advertisers by means of
circulars prefer TO send their circulars in
sealed envelopes because they think they will
have greater attention. and tho Circular De-
livery company dcrrives the government of n
largo revenue by carrying these sealed cir
culars at much less than the letter rates
charged therefor by the Postofice department
Previous to the establishment of the FREQ
delivery system penny posts existed in nearly
all Cities but In 1861 the government decided
that it had n right to do this business, and
the penny posts were broken up by arrests
ana seizures. 4 nc puDllC hb nrsV IOOk inc
side of the private companies, but eventually
acknowledged the superiority of the free dc.
livery system.
The private organization doing business
under the names Manhattan District Tele-
graph company and Circular Delivery COM
pany" has recently begun to transmit mail
matter in bulk to other cities than New York,
whero they have agencies, and to distribute
il there, thus beginning tho formation of n
ftDt nf nUtR In ola 1xr
competition with the Postoilice department.
NEw York, May 5.-United States Dist
Atty Root to-day began civil suits in the
United States courts against the proprietors
Boyds and Hussey's offices for tho distribu-
tion of letters. The letters which were seized
by the postofiice inspectors on Friday were
given into the custody of Postmaster Pear
son, who informed the firms, whose business
notices appeared on the envelopes, that the
letters were held for postage, and would be
delivered to the senders or would be for
warded on receipt of the postage due on them.
Many of the letters were returned and others
were forwarded, the delivery companies in
some cases offering to pay the postage.
Dist. Atty. Root informed the officers of
other companies including the United
States Circulating Delivery company and
the American, Manhattan, Mutual, and Balti-
more and Ohio District Telegraph companies
that they were charged with maintaining
private expresses for the carriage of mail
matter contrary TO law. An answer was re-
,ceiyed from the president of the American
company denying that its business was con-
.trary TO law. Tho section under which the
seizures were made prohibits only the deliv-
cry of letters at stated times and over regular
routes. The conveyance of letters by private
or special messengers is expressly excepted
from the prohibitions of tho law. The dis
trict telegraph companies rely on this pro-
vision to prevent interference with their
business. The persons who answered tho
notices informing them of the retention of
their letters had their attention called to tho
provision making the sending of letters con-
trary to law punishable by fine of $50 for
each ofiense. 1t was said that the companies
whose letters were seized would continue
business under another form.
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