The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-03

proprietors have to some extent complied with
the regulation; but no sanction of law enforces
the duty, which is fairly due from public inn
Keeper OF the present time and it not infrequent-
Iy occurs that important letters are delayed or
lost because proper action is not taken. A vast
volume OF our mercantile affairs is transacted
through the agency OF commercial travellers, to
whom communications by mail are most con-
venlently, sometimes necessarily, addressed in
care of hotels. Their journeys are rapid and
their sojourns in particular places brief, and it
sometimes happens that by earlier arrival
tnan was anticipated, or by the delay of the
mails, letters miss the expected delivery. In
deed, guests and intended guests of every de-
scripton are interested in the mails which are
sent to hotels, well as the senders of the mes
sages, and the interest is SO great as to be on
titled to legislative care. Inn keepers public
personages by common law, and may rightfully
be charged with legal duty and responsibilities
duty and responsibility that the best of them
now observe from courtesy and business wisdom.
1t would greatly advance the interests of the
public to authorize all letters addressed in care
OF hotel or inn, If not delivered within the time
specified upon a request on the envelope, to be
forwarded to such other address as should be SO
designated. and to require, under penalty, all
hotel proprietors and keepers TO deliver to the
nearest postofice all such letters within the
period so named, and all others within ten days
after their receipt, unless otherwise specially
directed, to be by the postmaster forwarded ac-
cording to direction, returned to the sender if
shown by the exterior of the envelope, other
wise to the Dead letter Office I recommend
that such legislation be suggested to the Congress.
Numerous instances have been brought to the
notice of the department., during the past
son, of conspiracies among persons in commu
mites supplied by railway routes, and served by
officers of the fourth class. to diminish the COM
pensation of the postmaster by collecting the
local mail, to as great an extent as possible, at
other places than the postofice and dspatching
it by means of the railway postofice, thus in
fcLing upon him the loss of commissions upon
the cancellations he would otherwise make in
usual course of duty. In some cases malice has
proceeded so far as to make use of carrier to
transport such matter to neighboring town in
order to reach the railway postoffice The priv
ilege of the use of the railway Office for the
rightful convenience of the public ought not to
be abridged; but it ought not to be abused to in
dulge the despicable passion which, unfortunate
Twill sometimes work expression in the conduct
of men.
The postmaster is rightfully entitled to the
commissions which the law awards him for the
proper business of his community, as he must be
vigorously held to the discharge of the full
measure OF duty owing to every person in
the community. Conduct of the character indi-
Gated not only impairs his rights, but
tends to the injury of the service and the promo
ton of bitterness harmful to society, ana de-
serves apprehension and punishment by law.
recommend that legislation be sought which
shall forbid, and properly punish any conspiracy
to deprive postmaster Of the commissions upon
the mail matter dispatched from within the or
binary delivery of his postoffice by mailing the
same in any railway other postoffice.
So much has been said already in respect to
the financial problem of the present year. as
affecting probable receipts that nothing need be
added to explain the necessarily arbitrary char
acter of the estimation attempted in order to
furnish some indication of future revenue No
way is open but to conjecture the probabilities,
and no test of the value of different conjectures
is possible
The total sum of the proposed appropriations
for the postal service of the next year is $54 $780,
166 SO.
These estimates of revenue and cost indicate
deficiency for the year 1887 of 81. 443 9l4 %,
not reckoning the cost of transportation of mails
by the Pacific railroads, which will be placed to
their credit
Besides the. uncertainty attaching to the reve-
nue.. the heavy items of expenditure for
pensation to the postmasters and railway mail
transportation, which are practically beyond
departmental control, may exceed the sums
named. An UNEXPECTEDLY large growth of demand
upon the service, involving issues of stamps
and stamped paper much beyond present antc-
ipaton, might swell the charges of the Third
Assistants Office over the estimated limit; but as
it would be productive of proportlonable reve-
nue., the deficiency would be desirable.