Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-10-11
TMO.cent Postage.

The sale of the new two-cent sta mps
for the first three or four days has been
larger during each day than the sales
for any one day has ever been before,
and could these opening days be taken
rs criterion, the popularity and sue
cess of two-cent postage rate would
be assured. This great sale of stamps
can be accounted for in part from the
fact that the advent of two-cent postage
has been heralded from one end of the
country to the other, and large business
houses have been for weeks and perhaps
months in some cases, working off their
supply of the green stamps and three
cent envelopes which the government
would not exchange, in order to be
ready for supply of the stamps and
stamped envelopes of the other denomi-
nation. And it is also more than pro-
bable that those who have been in the
habit of doing but little correspondence
yet keeping small supply of stamps
on hand have let their supply run low.
With both of these classes of consumers
it has been necessary to replenish their
postage purses, which inpart has caused
the rush of the first days. 1t is not i'm
probable that very large number of
persons, young and old whose cores
pondence is entirely social, have put
,,M xxr,fsnnr and in slincr
their letters until they could avail
themselves of cheaper rate, all of
which causes combined account for the
immense sales of the new stamp. We
do not think the department in the long
run will suffer any financial loss in the
decrease of postage rates. While
good many bought stamps on the first
day out of curiosity, yet with our rapid
ly increasing population the new rate
will be the direct cause of more letters
being written than ever before. and if
the department holds its own and does
not run behind this year the great won
der will be why it was not attempted
four years ago, and the earnings of the
department made of direct benefit to
the masses instead of being turned over
into the treasury. Many circulars are
sent through the mail which will now
be sealed and the extra cent paid, while
the postal card which has been very
popular ever since its first appearance,
n great deal of that part of the business
will be done under coverand its secrecy
preserved, especially will it be so in the |
small country postofiices with mails ar
irving and departing once or twice
week, where the greatest temptations
the country postmaster or clerk has to
contend with is the reading of the pos
tails which pass through his hands. |
The three-ceut stamp was never popu-
lar stamp on account of its not being |
the aliquot part of any popular coin. |
The three-cent piece and the three dol |
lar gold piece are the only coins that |
would buy any of the stamps without |
making change, and neither of those |
coins were popular. That difficulty is |
now allayed to the satisfaction of pat
rons and clerks alike. Finally, large
part of the correspondence of this coun- |
try is social and voluntary, which is
sensibly hindered by an unpopular and
announcement letter rate. 1t is reason |
able therefore to expect that a change
, from rate to one that is not only more
convenient but cheaper, will produce
very satisfactory results in the increase
of the volume of correspondence, aud |
consequently financially.