Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-12-01

and for transportation by railroaus vi
about 81 600, 900 The estimate also
contemplates the payment out OF the
appropriation of the entire cost Oh
mail service on the Pacific railroads.,
portion OF which is now 10y law cfeult,
"a on the books Of the treasury ana
does not appear in the appropriation
for mail transportation. Inc amount
involved by the contemplated change
in the mode of settlement Is approx
mated at 81 100 900, which amount |
added TO the two deficiencies mem |
toned, will leave the estimates SIS, 45S,- |
780. 80 in excess OF the appropriations |
for the present year.
REDUCTION IN RATE OF POSTAGE.
The past wear marked an important
epoch i'm the history OF the postal ser
vice through the reduction in the letter
rate of hostage from to cents, taking
effect on the let of October, 1883, under
the provisions of the act OF March .,
! 1888, IA the class OF matter affected
yielded by far the larger portion of the
! postal revenue, the change, of course,
! produced an Immediate falling off in
| The receipts. The ordinary postal
revenue for the year ended June 30,
/ 1884. was So. 2TS, ABS. p less than that of
the preceding year To this loss
should, of course, be added that OF the
natural increase to have been expected
hnd the cent rate remained In force
An increase Of 9 per cent. on the ordl-
nary revenue Of 1883 exclusive OF the
money. order business, would
amount to 81 ,05S. 736 80, which added to
the amount previously stated, would
give Sc, 1897, 17lS3 TO represent the loss
for the fret year under the change in
the rate. Though the three-cent rate
was in force the quarter ended Sep
TENDER 30, 1883, the sales of stamps,
ETC., for that quarter were $751;, 27l 50
less than the average for the three re-
manning quarters under che two cent
rate; the anticipated change in the
rate having led TO a serious falling Off
in the sale of stamps. That the loss of
revenue was not greater must be graf
flying, in view OF the fact that the es-
Inmates on which the change was
based contemplated loss for the first
year ofabout S., 0OO, coo. 1t is evident
the prediction has been fully verified
that the reduced rate would greatly
stimulate letter correspondence aud
lead 10 the substitution Of sealed in
closures for postal cards and open
circulars. The increase in the
number of letters cannot be stated,
the department having no statistics TO
show the number OF pieces OF each of
the several classes of matter mailed,
and the same kind of stamps being
used indiscrim lately for first, third,
and fourth-class matter. Neither do
the sales furnish any guide, since post
masters in accounting to the auditor
report the amount in the aggregate
aud not in detail of the several kinds
and denominations.
A comparison of the issues to post
, masters of , and Scent stamps and
! stamped envelopes for the nine months
ended June 80, 1888, under the Scent
rate, with the issues of and Scent
. stamps and stamped envelopes during
} the corresponding nine months ended
June 80, 1854, under the 2.cent rate,
may be found of interest in this con-
2 nection, though aflOrding no certain
) indication Of the actual sales.
2 June 80, 1888, the number
( of cent stamps and stamped on,
r velopes issued was l0l, 6i2, l25 valued
r at $1,000 $3.50, and OF Scent stamps
aud stamped envelopes 653 500 $50
9 valued at $40 Cos $3.50 The number
4 of 2-cent stamps aud stamped envel
9 opes issued during the niue months
d ended June 30, 1884, was 955 427 400
y valued Mt $40, los, 54s, and of Seen
= stamps (the issue Of Scent stamped en
velopes having ceased) was 127 800
Il valued at SIS $40. The total number o
= > and Scent stamps aud envelope
q issued, therefore, during the forme
I, period was 1853 ,27l 455, valued at S2l
& FOL. I'D 40, and during the latter period
3. 955, 554 700, valued Sl9,Il2, 3G7; an in
crease in number of 1877, 2S3, 245, or .
= per cent, and decrease in value o
Il =. $50, 1855. 40, or ll.9 per cent.
In postal cards there was q decreas
p in the issues of 1880, 900, or A. pc
n, cent, for the year ended June 80, 1881
~ MS compared with the previous year
"a During the preceding i've years ther
has been an average annual increes
of 1865 per cent.
60 One OF the minor benefits resultin
from the change Of postage ia the II
~ duction in the numbered Insufficient
he prepaid letters deposited in leiter-cal
IN rier postoflices for mailing Co othe
e places. At these offices heretofor
"A, large numbers of such letters hay
r. every year been deposited for mailin
c. on which the scnders have, throug
rs inadvertence, prepaid postage I
ct the amount of . cents onl
T. that being the local rate
he instead OF cents. In all such case
70, under the law, the letters have bee
w detained until either the senders or &c
in dresses have furnished the deficier
Ir- postage, falling in which the lettei
TO have been sent to the dead-letter oflic,
or Now that the local rate of postage ,
o. these offices is tho same az the gener,
rate, the number of insufiicientlv or
10 paid letters has very materially d
We creased, thus saving large amount ,
pc trouble to the postmasters, q great d
ed lay In the transmission OF the letter
ne and considerable annoyance TO bot
en- their senders and receivers.
'oT ISSUE OF PosTAGE-sTAMPs, sTAsfPE
rs. ENVELOPES AND PosrAIrcARDs.
at The number aud value of postag
as stamps, stamped envelopes and posts
cards issued upon requlsition durir
the year were AS followe:
ART cI.Es NuMnrn. vAtr,
VI Ordinary postage