Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-03

1913.
The number of special Offices was q
63l, each supplied by special carrier,
who is com pensatsd out of the treasury in
sum not exceeding two-thirds of the sal
agy of the postmaster.
PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANIES.
The relations between the government |
and the companies owning the subsidized |
Pacific roads are unsettled and unsatisfac- |
tory.
Fer some years the entire earnings of
these companies, whether from their own
or from leased or operated lines, have
been treated as a credit against their in
debtedness to the United States. During
the past year it has been decided By the
courts that the amounts earned on nom
subsidized roaos must be paid to the COM
panies; this adds over $500, 1000 per year to
the amount necessary to be appropriated
Tor railroad transportation. Hereafter
only the earnings Of the subsidized COM
panies will be credited by the treasury as
payments on their indebtedness to the
United States. These earnings are proper
items of cost against the revenues of the
department, and should be 80 treated. IT
THROUGH MAILS FOE THE NORTHERN PACIFIC
COAST.
Through mails for and from Oregon
Washington Territory, Alaska, and British
Columbia are now dispatched by way of
Saint Paul and the Northern Pacific, in
stead OF over the Union Pacific and the
Utah Northern to Blackfoot Junction, and
thence over the Northern Pacific, as hereto
fore. The former line is 265 miles shorter
that the latter, and, on the assumption that
the debt due from the Union Pacific COM
pany to the United States will ultimately
be paid, it is $31 per ton cheaper. In ad-
dition to the argument of economy, the
convenience of the people living On the
Northern Pacific coast seemed to demand
this change. The amount paid the North
ern Pacific for this service, on the basis of
the present weight of the mails, will be
something less than $25, 900 year.
REGISTRATION.
The number of letters and parcels sent
through the registered mail during the
year was 10.594,716, of which 7,S49, 1927
were domestic letters, 444,789 were letters
addressed TO foreign countries; 94S,O75
were domestic parcs Is of third and fourth
class matter; 22,SO6 were parcels of third
and fourth class matter to foreign coun-
tries; and 1,329,219 were letters and par
cells of official matter for the government,
by Law free from the payment Of registry
fees. Tho amount of registry fees collect
ed was 1926, $40 20, an increase of $685.
057. 80, or 1910 per cent. over the previ-
GUS year. The actual and estimated
losses Ia number of cases still being un
der investigation, were only s27, or say
ono out of every 1897 letters and parcels
forwarded. This small proportion of loss
is unprecedented.
TIE POSTAGE REDUCTION.
An important reducilon of postage has
just been effected by changing the domes-
tic letter rate from cents to g This
change is OF benefit to all the people of the
country in proportion to the extent which
they paironize the mails. For time at
least, it will sensibly diminish the postal
revenue and impose burden upon the gen
eral treasury.
1t would seem to be prudent to wait I'M
til the deficiency shall have been recovered,
or at least more definitely ascertained, be-
fore making further irroad upon the
revenues through reduction of the pres
ent rates of postage. The carrying OF
the mails should not be looked to as
De rendered as nearly selfsustaining as pos
sible.
STANDARD OF WEIGHT.
Mr. Gresham is OF opinion the unit of
weig for rating frst-class matter should
be changed from one-haf an ounce to one
ounce. This change in connected with the
recent reduction of letter postage from
three cents to two cents, would place this
country on an equality with any other in
respect of cheap postage. Great Britain
maintains moro liberal unit Of weight
for rating letters and packages than we
do.
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE,
The postage on third-class matter, en-
bracing newspapers and periodicals sent
by others than the publishers, is cent per
2 ounces. Some Of the larger newspapers
weigh more than 2 ounces. There seems
to be- popular impression that 1 cent
per copy is the uniform rate for all news
papers. Many persons, under this impress
sion, deposit in postoffices newspapers
which weigh more than 2 ounces, and not
exceeding three ounces, bearing 1-cent
stamp. Sue papers are not entitled to be
sent, and perhaps as rule are not sent.
IL.
In order to obviate this il is recommended
that the rate of postage on newspapers
and periodical publications sent by others
than the publishers Or news agents, be
made cent per ounces.
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The report concludes with long dis
cussion of the proposition that the govern
ment shall assume the ownership and con-
troll of the country's Geographic business,
to which Mr.. Gresham is opposed, believ-
ing it to be inexpedient from a business
standpoint and harmful on account of the
increased political patronage which would
grow oul of the adoption of such a meas
ure.
Postoffice Statistics.
The following is the business transacted
at the st. Paul pcstoffice during the month