The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-01-05
POSTAL FACILITIES.
The Almost Marvellous Progress Made
During the Past Fifty Years.

B
The Almost Marvellous Progress Made
During the Past Fifty Years.
There is no department of the Gov
eminent with which so large a part OF
the people has to do, and none with
which the people has to deal so often,
as the post-office. On an average.
every man, woman and child in the
United States both sends and receives
something by mail-a letter, a news
paper, package. once week through
out the year. Indeed, hardly any fea-
ture OF the modern civilization is more
striking to one who can divest himself
OF the feeling that the post-office is a
matter OF course, than the develop
ment and present extent Of commune
cation by means of the mail.
When we remember that fifty years
ago it cost twenty-five cents to send a
single piece of paper, written or
printed, from Washington to Boston;
that the railroad system was in its
infancy, and that letter-sendipg was q
luxury not to be INDUCED in without
consideration. we may see what q
vast change half century has wrought.
At present every one who can write at
all sends letters. Children are en-
couraged to begin correspondence with
relatives and friends as soon Us they
can "print" words. Business men are
hardly more sparing Of postage stamps
than their wives are Of pins. And this
modern idea OF the constant use OF
the post-office is wholly the growth Of
fifty years.
Let US compare 1888 and 1883. Fifty
years ago the mails were carried on
only nineteen hundred miles of rail-
road in the United States-four hun
dred miles less than are now oper-
ated in the territorially small State OF
Massachusetts. Now the mails are car
ried on one hundred and forty thou
sand miles of railroad. There are, in
1888, tifty-seven thousand post-offices,
against twelve thousand in 1888. The
revenue Of the department was four
and more than fifty-two and half mil
lions in the year ended last June.
Statistics were not kept OF the mum.
Der of letters and other parcels mailed
fifty years ago, but in 1888 the letters
transmitted numbered almost seven
teen hundred and twenty millions;
the postal cards three hundred and
seventy-two millions; the newspapers
and periodicals one thousand and sixty
three millions, and the packages three
hundred and seventy-three millions
a total of three thousand five hundred
and seventy-eight million pieces, and an
average of almost sixty to each person
OF the sixty million inhabitants OF the
United States.
American postage rates are by far
the cheapest in the world. The En-
glish penny rate on letters is the same
as the twO-cent rate, but the distance
traversed by letters here is greatly in
excess of that in the United Kingdom.
Moreover, Great Britain has nothing
to compare with the American system
OF sending newspapers to subscribers
at q rate OF one cent a pound. 1t costs
half-penny-one cent-to send each
paper in England-at least six times as
high a rate as that in the. United States,
even il no account be taken Of the
greater distances here.
The English ''parcel post" is. how
ever, cheaper than the American.
Packages Of merchandise can be sent
at the rate of three pence-six cents
for a single pound, and at a rate grow
ing smaller as the weight increases,
until at eleven pounds the charge is
only eighteen pence-or about three
and third cents pound. The United
States rate is uniform at one cent an
ounce. A falr-pound package-.the
limit of weight.-would cost sixty-four
cents; in England it would cost fifteen
cents.
No doubt this country will in time
overtake and surpass its greatest rival
in this department OF the postal service.
as it has already done in other depart
ments. There is no conceivable limit
to the expansion of this service. and
as the service grows in amount, it may
grow cheaper. 1t is probably too soon
to think of one-cent rate for letters.
but in a very few years. at present
rates, the department will overcome
the deficiency between receipts and ex-
penditures-it was nearly five and a
half millions during the past year
and then the one-cent rate will come,
as surely as the three-cent rate super
seeded the five. and the two the three
cent rate. Whether or not any of the
other dreams OF those who favor ex-
tending the postal service-postal tele-
graphs, savings banks and the like
are to come true, is question for the
future to answer. - Youths Companion.
A Bell With a History.