Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-17
POsial Regulations HaIra Centu.
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AkVs
The New York Tribune. in notiul
the improvements in postal facilities
says: The differences between. thu
present law and that OF 1895 are nu
merous and important. At that tim,
and until 1896 all pOstmasters, or a
they were sometimes called, "deput,
pOstmasters." we're appointed By thu
Postmaster General. The postmaster
of the important Offices are now ap
pointed by the President, with thu
consent OF the Senate The postage
rates as they were fixed in 1916, and re
manned for nearly thirty years, weri
on a sliding scale that must have re
quired high degree Of arithmetica
skill on the part Of postmasters. The
rates for letter of a single sheet o.
paper were for any distance under 81
miles, 8 cents; over 30 and under 80
10 cents; over so and under $50, III
cents; over 100 and under 400 miles
49, cents, and over 400 miles, % cents
Letters OF two sheets were charged
double postage, those of three Sheet
triple postage, and others on tn,
same scale.
The instructions given to the post
masters in 1875 indicate some of tn,
difficulties that were found in apply
ing the law. One regulation says: i
may sometimes be difficult to discover
whether the letter is single or doubl,
or treble, but after a little experience
you will generally be able to decid,
by feeling or holding the letter TO thu
light. Postmasters were directed t
reckon the distance between tw,
places by the shortest post route. Cir
cults were sometimes made for thu
delivery Of letters 50 that the carrier
did not return BY the same route the!
used in going, and the method used il
calculating the distance was some
times highly important. Thus il
New Jersey" says the regulations
there is circuitOus route from
Trenton to Allentown, Shrewsbury
etc , to New Brunswick. and thence Il
Somerville Courthouse and Fleming
ton TO Trenton. From Trenton by th
route on which the mail is carried t
Pennington is l3l miles aud the post
age by that distance would be IL
cents, but the actual distance from
Pennington to Trenton is only q mile
and the postage Of letter sent eithe
way would be only 6 cents.
The postage was not usually pre-
paid. Stamps we're not introduce,
until lS47. Newspapers we're sen
within the State or a distance of l0
miles, for l cent each, aud for ! } cent
for greater distances. ship letter
or those brought by vessels, wer
charged an extra rate. A reRula
foreign mail was not organized unit
1917. The mails were carried il
"portmanteaus" on horseback or b.
stages. Steamboats, were utilized at
ter 1913, and railroads after 1888
By law OF 1910, which remained
in force for fifty years, only free whit
persons were allowed to be employe,
in carrying the mails, lest colored per
sons should use the mails to max
combinations to the detriment OF tn
whites" The letters were fastened il
packages and post bill" was en-
closed, so that the receiving postmas
ter might know what charges we're b
be collected. The postmasters wer
paid by commissions, except that ad
ditional allowances we're made to tn
postmasters Of Washington and NeV
Orleans. No, postmaster could re
ceiye a compensation Of more thai
$1,000. The number of free letter
sent in 1925 was proportionately large
than at present, as the privilege o
ranking was freely bestowed. AL
the important and many minor off
oials at Washington could send an,
receive letters without the payment o
postage; others could receive newspa
pers free; postmasters might exchang
letters without cost, and printers 0
n wspapers might freely exchang
their publications. The dates OF tn
most important changes in the pOsta
service since 1875 are: The use O
railroads, 1893; reduction of postage
1915; postage stamps and arrange
ment OF scale according to th
weight Of letters, lS47; registere
letters, 1854; free delivery in citiei
1863; railway mail service, 1864; an
at about the same time the posta
money order The reduction in ette
postage to two cents on October wi
be a further step in advance.