The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-11-22
EFFECTS OF REDUCED porAaE
No Increase ia the Amount OF sfatI Mat
ter-PeeuIiarIt1es of the Service,
Fran tho Iar, Work r-ia,,,,

ter-PeeuIiarIties of the Service.
From the Nem York Tribune.
The drst month under the system of
reduced postage, by which first class
mail matter is transmitted at the rate
OF 2 cents instead OF cents for each
half ounce, ended with November /.
Postmaster Pearson is of the opinion
that il is yet too early to form a iudg-
Inent as to the effect OF the reduction on
the amount OF mail matter sent. The
post office 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 de
nomination of stamps in each OF the
weeks of October, 1882. and October,
1888. The receipts tor the week ending
October e, 1888, were unusually large
for peculiar reasons. Business firms
| using large quantities of stamps delay
! ed sending Until October in order TO
take advantage of the reduction. Great
numbers OF 2-cent stamped envelopes
were ordered in advance for delivery on
October I. Curiosity seekers bought
many of the new stamps for the first
day. These causes made the receipts
l wi th0L WCCA ou1OuuG W
nearly % per cent more than the usual
| amount year ago under the system of
higher postage. The next three weeks
showed q marked reduction IN the re-
ceipts, the average being $S3, 33S, 80
The average weekly receipts for DC
| tnber, 1882, were 800, 935 80. The diff
| erence-alIout $4,000 Weekly-might
be taken to represent the loss from the
reduction III postage were il not that
| disturbing causes, such as the increase
| or decline al business, the greater or
less amount of political canvassiDg, the
starting of new business firms, and the
| number of circulars, are iO belaken into
account. The number of 2-cent and g.
cent stamps now sold is about 200, 600
| n week, or about 500OO more than a
year ago. About $1,000 Scent stamps
are still sold each week, bnt no new
ones will he issued. The increase IN
the receipts tor these stamps for the
| last few years has usually been about
10 per cent over that of the year before,
| so that the increase shown Is not greater
| than that which has been previously
| felt.
| Postmaster Pearson SAID a few DAYS
| ago: ut is really impossible tO form
| from the figures of the business tor one
| month any idea of the effects of reduced
postage. The trans actions of the Office
| are 80 large and we are so frequently
subjected to uneXplTed demands that
calculations based on!the figures for q
short time are almost sure TO be decep-
tive. Ii, for instance, at this season OF
the year a candidate buys $4,000 or 40
OOO stamped envelopes 1t affects greatly
the sales for the day. Or large bust
ness firm may send out circulars fol-
distribution throughout the country
and we ind ourselves without warning
compelled tn handle a great mass Ol
matter that increases the business fol
that particular day. The only way thai
we can fairly compare the business Of
the office with the past Is by taking .
long period of time-as a year-anG
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, tor instance, have
their individual pecuiiarities. On Mon
day there is apt to he heavy letter
mail, AS Sunday is comparatively al
idle day Tuesday is also a heavy letter
day. With Wednesday, and Thursday
come heavy newspaper mails, as most o
the weekly papers are issued then. On
Saturday We have many circulars which
business men have prepared through the
week and deposit with us in a lot
| When the 10Th oil the month tails Oh
Wednesday we have extremely heavy
newspaper mails, having both monthly
and weekly publications at the same
time. The arrival and departure of the
foreign mails may also cause increase
in the business of one day.
so tar as can be judged by those who
!; handle the mails here, there is no in
crease of er-writing on account of the
reduced postage. The persons to whom
the difference between 2 cents and :
cents is important do not write letters
Many Of them can not write at all, anC
IN other cases where two or three letters
year are written the reduction of post
age does no: have much effect. Amos
ali the writing done by persons whC
would not be deferred from writing by
the cost of postage. The majority o.
letters sent through this office come
from large business houses who mus
carry OD correspondence. Bills and
sealed notices that or large part d
the business will be sent out whether
the postage Is 8 cents or cents. Fol
these reasons did not expect that in
this city at least the reduction would
greatly increase the business of the
Office, and shall not be disappointed
IL at the end of year the figures show
such result.