The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-06
SPECIAL POSTAL DELIVERY.
The House Committee to ForceA Mischiev-
GUS Extension of the System.

The House Committee to ForceA Mischiev-
GUS Extension of the System.
Washington Special.
Authentic information from various important
postal centers has been made public lately, to
the effect that the new special delivery system
has not fulfilled the promises of its promoters,
andeis not increasing in efficiency or popularity
In other words, the system is not. properly
speaking, success It is not extensively used,
| it does not work promptly and smoothly it does
not pay its own expenses, its essential idea is
not in accord with the principle of equal prvi-
leges under the postal laws
In the face of all these considerations, the
House committee on postoflces is preparing to
force an extension of this system. and from
present appearances the House seems likely to
follow the committees lead. At present the
special delivery privilege Is restricted to mail
matter of the frst-class-that is to say, sealed
letters The new bill, recommended by the
committee, provides that the privilege shall be
accorded to all mail matter. Thus by the pay
ment of ten cents extra, it is TO be enacted that
one may compel the immediate delivery of
pair of boots or q bundle of feathers, or any ar
ticle OF merchandise on which he may choose to
pay postage, and that such articles are to take
precedence of the great mass of letters bearing
only tbs ordinary two-cent stamps.
More than this, the committee recommends
the extension of the system to all the postcfices
in the country. under the discretion Of the Post
master general; whereas at present only 555
Offices are special delivery Offices
But the committee goes still further. In its
report. and in the last report of the Postmaster
general. it is conceded that ''at many of the
smaller Offices constituting probably majority
of the whole number, the Especial delivery bust
ness has not been found sufficient to maintain
messengers in regular employment" Under the
present law the regular clerks cannot be used in
| delivering these special letters; so that at the
| smaller Offices. as is confessed, the system has
| broken down. The committee therefore
| recommends that at third and fourth class
Offices the clerks may be employed at extra
| pay to act as special carriers of this
! special mail matter. It amounts to nothing
! less than this. then, that If the pending recon-
| mendations are adopted, the postofice clerks are
| TO be taken from heir proper work. of dstribut-
ing ordinary letters, for which they are paid by
| the people, and are to be set at work distribut-
| ing special letters packages and bundles, for a
| few individuals who have paid small extra
charge. not enough In itself to pay for the work.
The bill might be entitled "a bill to erect the
Postoffce Department into an express company,
with the understanding that it shall attend to
its express business prior to distributing its reg
| ular mails
| The committee has unanimously reported it's
bill covering all the preceding points, and on the
| first opportunity will ask to have the House act
| upon it, on d suspension of the rules If the
matter were understood in all its bearings, the
| House might not choose to do this but through
/! ignorance of the facts, perhaps 1t may.