The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-12-05
s POsTOFFICE AND LAW.
Reduction of Postage and Adoption of
Postal Telegraph.

Reduction of Postage and Adoption of
Postal Telegraph.
The report Of the Postmaster General contains
OF The interesting branch OF the public scrTice
committed 10 his care.
The rate of postage on drop letters passing
i-oagh these Offices is now fixed by law at two
cents per half-ounce fraction thereof In offices
where the carrier system has not been established,
. . rste is only hal. as large IL will be remem-
II & at in 1S63 when the free delivery was first
est lshed by law. the uniform of postage upon
local letters was one cent and so ii remained until
1872 when in those cities where the carrier service
the expense OF such service. Ii seems to me that
the old rate may now with prOpriety be restored,
and that. too. even at the risk Of diminishing for
a time II least, the receipts from postage upon
local letters. can see no reason why that partic
ulHr class OF mail should be held accountable
for the entire cost OF, not only OF its own
delivery of all other classes. and am confident a
ter full consideration OF the subject that the re-
duction OF the rate would be followed by such
growing accession TO business as to occasion but
slight and tenn orary loss 10 revenues OF the Post
his report 10 the consideration in its various
poets of the relations of the Government 10 the
telegraph. Such reflection rs have been able TO
give TO his subject since my last annual message
has not led me to change the
view which there expressed in
dissenting from the recommendation of the then
Postmaster General. that the Government assume
the same control over the telegraph which it has
always exercised over the mail Admitting that
us dutnOrltN III lDc premises Is as ample as mas
ever been claimed for it, 1t would not, in my
Judgment, be a wise use of that authority TO pur-
chase or assume the control OF existing telegraph
lines, or 10 construct Others with view oil enter
ing into general competition with a private enter
prise. The objections which might be justly urged
against either of these projects, and, indeed.
against any system which would require an enor-
nous increase in the Civil Service list do not
however, apply to some OF the plans which have
1t has been claimed. for example, that Congress
might wisely authorize the Postmaster General TO
contact with some private persons or CORPORA
al specified rates and under Government super
vision. Various such schemes OF the same general
cIerisiics have been suggested in the public prints
and the arguments by which thev have been sup
ported and opposed have doubtless attracted your
attention. Ii is likely that the whole subject will
be considered by you at the present session. In
the nature OF things it involves so many questions
,st Of detail that you! deliberations would
which might now submit. 1 svow my belief,
however, that the Government should be author
lied by law TO exercise some sort OF supervision OF
inter state telegraph communication, and ex-
press the hope that oF atsainng lhat end some
appreciation.
The Attorney General criticises in his report and
reviews the provisions of the existing law fixing
fees of Jurors and witnesses in the Federal
Courts. These provisions are chiefly contained
the the in set Of February %: 1883, though
that act from statutes which had been passed
many years previous. !: is manifest that such
compensation as might, when these laws were en-
acted. have been just and reasonable, would in
many instances be justly regarded at the present
day as inadequate. ] concur with the Attorney
General in the belief that the statutes
should be revised by which these fees
are regulated. SO, too should the laws which
regulate the compensation Of District
Attorney and Marshalls They should be paid
wholly by salaries instead of in part by fees is
now the case. The change would prove to be a
measure OF economy, and would discourage the
institution of needless aud oppressive legal pro
ceedings. which il is to he feared have in some
gain.