The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-16
EFFECTS OF REDUCED POSTAGE
No Increase in the Amount of Mail Mat
ter----Peeuliarities of the
Service.
From the New YORK Trihnne

The first month under the system of
reduced postage. by which first class mail
matter is transmitted at the rate of 2 cents
instead Of cents fer each half ounce,
ended with November l. Postmaster
Pearson is of the opinion that it is yet too
early to form judgment as to the effect
of the reduction on the amount of mail
matter sent. The postoff1ce officials are,
however, of the opinion that there has
been little If any increase in the business
of the office on account of the reduction.
Postmaster Pearson has furnished figures
showing the receipts of the Office from
every denomination of stamps in each of
the weeks in October, 1882, and October,
1883. The receipts for the week ending
October 6, 1888, were unusually large for
peculiar reasons, Business firms using
large quantities of stamps delayed send
ing until October in order to take advant-
age of the reduction. Great numbers of
2 cent stamped envelopes were ordered
in advance for delivery on October
/. Curiosity seekers bought many
of the new stamps for the first few days
These causes made the receipts for that
week amount to $122, 291 60-nearly Is
per cent more than the usual amount a
year ago under the system of higher post
age. The next three weeks showed
marked reduction in the receipts, the
average being SS3, 1888 81 The average
weekly receipts for October, 1892, were
sos, 935 80 The difference about
$4,000 weekly-might be taken to rep
resent the loss from the reduction in
postage we're it not that the disturbing
causes, such as the increase or decline of
business, the greater or less amount of
political canvassing, the starting of new
business firms, and the number of circu-
lars, are to be taken into account. The
number of cent and cent stamps now
sold is about / 700, 900 week. or about
$4,000 more than year ago. About
$4,000 cent stamps are still sold each
week, but no new ones will be issued
The increase in the receipts for these
stamps for the last few years has usually
been about 10 per cent over that of the
year before, 50 that the increase shown
is not greater than that which has been
previously felt.
Postmaster Pearson said a few days
ago: Tits really impossible to form from
the figures of the business for one month
any idea of the effect of reduced postage
The transactions of the Office are so large
and we are SO frequently subjected to IN
expected demands that calculations based
on figures for a short time are almost sure
to be deceptive. If, for instance, at this
season of the year candidate buys 80, q.
600 or 10000 stamped envelopes il effects
greatly the sales of the day. Or large
firm may send out circulars for distribu-
ton throughout the country, and we find
ourselves without warning compelled to
handle great mass of matter that in
creases the business for that particular
day. The only way that we can fairly
compare the business Of the office with the
past is by taking long period of time
as year-and finding the increase or
| decrease. Every short period Of time has
its peculiar features in the transactions of
the Office. The days Of the week, for in
stance, have their Individual peculiarlties
On Monday there is apt to be heavy
letter mail. as Sunday is comparatively
an idle day. Tuesday is also a heavy
letter day. With Wednesday and Thurs
| day come heavy newspaper mails,
as most of the weekly papers
are issued then. On Saturday we
have many circulars which business men
have prepared through the week and de-
post with us in lot. When the 18th
of the month falls on Wednesday we have
extremely heavy newspaper mails, having
both monthly and weekly publications at
the same time The arrival and depart
ure of the foreign mails may cause in
crease in the business of one day.
so Ear as can be judged by those who
handle the mails here, there is no increase
of letter writing on account of the reduc-
ed postage The persons to whom the
difference between 3 cents and cents is
| important do not write letters. Many Of
| them Gun not write at all, and in other
cases where two or two or three letters q
year are written the reduction of postage
| does not have much effect. Almost all
the writing is done by persons who would
not be deferred from writing by the cost
of postage. The majority of letters'sent
through this Office come from large bust
ness houses who must carry on cores
pondence. Bills and sealed notices that
form large part of the business will be
sent out whether the postags is cents or
Q cents. For thes reasons | did not ex-
pect that in this city at least the reduc
ton would greatly increase the business
of the office, and shall not be dissapoint
ed if at the end of year the figures show
such result"