New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-12
WHAT rs THE MATTERf

What is the matter with the postal service
This is the question people are asking every
wheye-out in the Far West in the mining
country, I'm the South In the manufacturing
towns Of New-Engand, and right hero in New
York City. We would AJAX it pretty often here
in THE TRIBUNE Office, but we know better
than to ask question when we already know
the answer. Here is what a subscriber writes us
from Lebanon Springs, n. y,
70 the Yd,tor Of The Tribune,
Cir. I have been q subscriber to your paper hr
threa wears hrough MY bookseller, but as now takes
two whole days for newspaper to reach Lebanon
Springs / must close my Sbscripften uDess you can
induce the present Administration 10 give us decent
postal service.
You have already published letters on this subject,
but no notice has been taken Of the complsint.
Our letters and papers arc now detained eighteen
hours within two miles OF us. COMMUNICATIONS have
been made with the Postal Department but no notice
has been taken of our complaint Yours truly,
THOMAS BROWN.
Here is one OF the half dozen letters that
came to us the other day from Eastern Penn
sylvania:
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir Please take a little compassion on us poor
Pennsylvania Republicans and provide US with some
good literature on Sunday. For several weeks past
no Sunday papers have been received from New-York
until Monday morning. Perhaps you can understand
my feelings better when state that today the only
paper that could buy was tho Philadelphia
Record We'll, won't do It again
Hoping to receive my TRIBUNE next Sunday,
/ am, sir, A PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN.
In the latter case it was explained that the
fault was with subordinate in the Newly crk
n hot Of to
prevented, if possible. If these were isolated
occurrences, it might be easy to overlook them,
but when they are 80 frequent and widespread
as to amount practically to system, the stua-
tion is rapidly becoming intolerable This
laxness and ineficiency seems to prevail in all
branches Of the service. We mention only in
cidents coming under our own observation.
The other day a letter left this office plainly
directed TO Augusta, Me. 1t was sent to
Augusta, Ca, and when the mistake was dis
covered, instead of being forwarded to its dcs-
tinstion, 1t was sent back to US, causing delay
and annoyance. Yesterday q letter reached
this Office that had started originally from Chi
cago. directed in clear, beautiful hand to the
Editor of THE TRIBUNE by name. 1t was sent
to Buffalo and there opened, and then for
warded here. These are only single examples
where we could give scores. Our mail-bags
are carried past their destinations. and our re-
mittance letters are stolen, to an extent never
seen under any previous Administration. And
THE TRIBUNE is only one of hundreds of large
business institutions all over the country that
are suffering in the same way. With regard
to the DELAYS in the West, the Administration
by its representatives in Congress pleaded the
baby act when this subject was being dis
cussed three months ago. The country was
growing SO fast that the Administration could
not keep I'D with It. But this excuse will
hardly hold good for the older parts of the
country. Just to show that other people are
suffering as much as we, we feel like repro
ducing here the letter which the Henry Bill
Publishing Company of Norwich wrote Senator
Plat. of Connecticut at that time and which
he read in the Senate:
Norwich, Conn, February IL, 1888.
Dear Sir: We are very much annoyed and troubled
py the apparent DISCRIMINATION OF the whole postal
system of this country. caused, believe BIZ the
removal otoxporeaoed postal route agents and ohors
and putting insufficient I'm their places. Our en-
tire mail matter is very much delayed.
We do not receive letters from any part Of the coun
try as quickly by twentyfour hours used to- and
from many parts II Is delayed for days.
Besides this, large numbers OF letters that send
out arc never received by the parties TO whom they
are sent, and the same with letters sent to u.s. We
arc tho largest patrons OF the post Office In this city,