National Republican., 1883-12-03

June 3, 1872, increased 1t at carrier oHces 10
cents, in order to defray the cost OF the car
rier service. That cost had heretofore largely
exceeded the receipts from local postage,
though the system was confined to hfty-two
of tho principal cities For the year ended
June 30, 1872, the amount of postage collected
on local matter was $90L35l.03, and tho ex-
pcnditure of carrier service Sl,3s5,965.16. If
the charge for drop letters is mado uniform
Mt all offices, without regard to this service at
portion Of them only, the cities and towns
not accommodated by carriers Will not long
remain quiet under the discrimination. II is
true that at the offices where tho carrier
service is in operation, the total postage on
local matter exceeds the total cost OF the SER
vice but to claim the entire receipts from
local matter rs due to the carrier system is
manifestly unfair At the close of the last
fiscal year that system was in operation at
15i postofices. The postage collected on local
matter at these offices during tho year
amounted to Si, 1876, ,230.52, and tho total cost
of the service was $3,l73, ,336.ol, an excess oil
postage Of 81 ,02l S94.Ol.
At fourteen offices only did the local post
age exceed tho cost Of the service. AT the re-
naming 40 offices the amount of local post
age collected was $037, 1878, while the cost
of the carrier service at the same offices was
$1,519, ,10295. At eighty-seven offices the
amount of local postage collected was less than
one half of the expenditure for carrier service.
These eighty-seVon offices in the aggregate
collected S220559.SI on local matter, and eX-
pended $5s3 356.36 for carrier service, an ex-
cess of expenditure of S362, 1862
reduction of the local rate to cent on
the present volume Of business would leave
the carrier service heavy charge upon the
general revenues of the department at every
Off &C save that at New York
Tho proposed step would lead to q clamor
for the extension of the carrier system TO an
indefinite number Of the smaller cities and
towns, where its maintenance would be
almost wholly at the expense of the general
revenue. Such extension will not be urged
on tho score of profit, and il it be put upon
upon the ground of public convenience it
will be difficult to assign n reason for making
determinations. when the local rate is uni
form at all offices. A large deficiency of ro-
venue from tho carrier service would, ii is
feared, be followed by scant app opriations
for this service, with the result of impairing
its efficiency, even at the places where it is
now conducted at profit.
An important reduction Of postage has Just
been elected by changing the domestic let
ter rate from 3 cents to 2. This change, un-
like tho one proposed is of benefit to all the
people of the country in proportion to tho
extent which they patronize the mails. For
time at least IL will sensibly diminish the
postal revenue and impose burden upon the
gene raj treasury.
1t would seem to bo prudent to wait until
the deficiency shall have been recovered, or
Mt least more definitely asCertained before
making further inroad upon the revenue
through u reduction of the present rates of
postage. The carrying of the mails should
not be looked to as source of revenue, but
the service should be rendered as nearly self
sustaining as possible.
After carful consideration / am of opinion
that the unit of weight for rating first class
matter should be changed from one-half an
m mn ~ This pbunup in
ton with the recent reduction otleter postage
from 3 10 cents, would place this country
on an equality with any other in respect of
cheap postage.
The postage on third class matter en-
lrdcing newspapers and periodicals sent by
other than the publishers, is l cent per 2
uuuccs. Some of the larger newspapers weigh
nlurr than 2 ounces. There seems TO be
pnl uiur impression that cent per copy is the
un form rate for all newspapers. Many per-
snns, under this impression, deposit in post
offices newspapers which weigh more than 2
Uunces, and not exceeding 3 ounces, bearing q
crilt stamp. Such papers ave not entitled
= 10 bc scnt and perhaps, as a'rule, are not sent.
A. I'm creates dissatisfaction and complaint.
IN order to ohvintc this / recommend that
Tho rate Of postage on newspapers and period
icul publications sent by others than the pub
fishers or news agents be made l cent for 3
ounces.
of the department on the lottery question,
reciting his orders in relation TO the Louis
lana lottery and the New Orleans National
bank, and concludes:
i recommend. as in keeping with our legis-
lation, and with view to render it more
etiicacious, the passage OF an act providing
thai every newspaper which contains an ad-
vertsoment Of lottery, or any agency
thereof, shall be excluded from the mails, and
rendering the person who deposits IL for send
ing by mail liable TO the penalties which,
under existing laws, he incurs for so deposit
ing letter or circular concerning lotteries.
also recommend that so far as they are
applicable the provisions Of the revised
statutes re'ating to tho District of Columbia
upon the subject of lotteries be extended to
all tho territories of the United States.
1t is sometimes urged that n lottery cannot
be fraudulent" within the meaning of the
revised statutes, If it be organized under state
laws, and its drawings be conducted conform
ably to their rcguircment8. i cannot, within
the allowable limits of this report, enter upon
adiscussiOn of this question: nor Is 1t nocess ary
that should do so to vindiCate the action OF
the department, rs my predecessor, In the
order which ho issued, expressly found as Il
fact that the scheme which the implicated
party conducted was fraudulent ] may. how
ever, remark that state laws cannot change
the inherent character of lottery, nor render
that mode of gambling less injurious to the
public morals, nor cntitle its aiGerS and abet-
tors 20 use the mails rs Il means of promoting
an enterprise which nearly every state in the
union prohibits as criminal, and the moral
sense of the nation condemns. The business
of gambling may not be illegal in the terri
tory where the law sanctions or teleratcs it,
but it has all tho essential characteristics
which elsewhere render the houses in which
it Is conducted public nuisance, and subject
to punishment those who maintain them.
Congress declares, in section OF the statutes
TO which have referred, that mo letter or
circular concerning lotteries shall be carried
IN the mails" Tho term "illegal" which
preceded lotteries" in that section ms origin
ally framed has been stricken out and all
lotteries, without regard to the asserted law.
lul character Of any Of them, are in this re-
spcct put upon the same footing. To close
the door, however, to all Cavil on the subject
and to render the form OF our legislation en-
trely consistent on matter of such vital III
tcTeSt, ] recommend that fraudulent" be
stricken from sections 1870 and 4OIl of the
revised statutes.
The subject of telegrOphy in connection
with our postal system is one of special aud
increasing interest. Ii has in all its aspects
aud relations been so fully discussed in the
reports of this department, rs well as in con.
gress and by the press, as to obyate the me-
ccs5ity Of an elaborate presentation of IL in
this report. | may, however, remark that
the impression widely prevails that our
means Of telegTaphic communication should
l, li,,,tf tf,I 10 l,,.. 81, "A l.