The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-02-21
'oURi POSTAL RATES.

OUR POSTAL RATES,
II has not been forgotten that the plat
form adopted by the National Rspuoll-
can CONVEX ton last summer made ue-
mand for reduced postage. The RApuo-
iica, a having secured control OF the
national government and OF Congress,
the fuIfllment Of the pledge expre' sed IN
This plank Of the platform will be ex
nected and demanded. This demand Is
founded upon a right conception OF the
proper function OF the postal service 70
furnish the cheapest, easiest ana most
,horouah facilities possible for commun-
icsrion among the people, for the dis-
.s,,ination OF literature and for the
REIMBURSEMENT of small packages III ls
moi desirable that the government shouI1
ohtain revenue from this service beyond
Sbe aInenditures, Il is demanded first
that the service be made cheap, prompt
and sure, and the people will not COM
Main nroyided these ends are secured
r. considerable appropriation is needed
for the nostul service in addition to the |
income from postage. The service Is
now practically self sustaining, ana may
even weld a surplus during the current
Hscal year, II account were taken OF
the large quantity of mail matter sem
free nv the government departments, we
should have a surplus OF several nl','or
dollars The loss caused by the reduc,
tions in rates and increase in limit OF
wei0ht during the last few years nss
heen Quickly! made up by the increase Oh
business, a deficiency of over $o.oUV'OOo
having been thus overcome WITHIN tnree
years. o.+ogs from
three cents to two cents was grea'
gain. but it has never been reRarueu Oy
the people as anything more than step
toward one-cent postage. ne lno' sI,
of the weight for single rate from nan
an ounce to one ounce was weI' anu
further increase to two ounces as ,eO
commended in the last annual report "
the third assistant postmaster geneIa
would be welcome /; but one-cehI Ia an
should be enacted first. IL is Proosoi'
that if the letter rate were reuuceu "
one cent now, the deficiency IN IeN SaiI.
that would result would oe neaIly VI
quite made up in one year by the Sreaee'
number Of letters that wouiu oe een.'
But even if it were not, the reuuo'iHu
should be made in the interest," Oh NV
people. A man who spehus ohy ~
year for postage won ID apprecla.e Wv
saving of 81 more probably than the gus
go man Who spends hundreds of dol
iars =. hut both would Re likely to i'm
nroye the cheaper rate to the extent OF
avort,aIIv amending more for postage
than before, This has been the result Of
nravions reductions, and there IS M
roooon ubv a different result would FOL
ioS, one-cent rate, The consequent
stimulation of general business is apoth,
ar effect to be regarded as an argument
in favor of cheap postage, and the oene,
fit to the paper-making industry woulo
be- apparent at once in very great IN
crease in the consumption OF writing
papers. 20 on.
cent might properly be accompanied
with revision of the prices charged the
public for postal cards.. The present
cards weigh from one tenth TO one
twelfth of an ounce each, so that where
as il costs two cents at the present rate
To send an ounce letter, it costs III 10 X
cents to send the same weight OF postaI
cards. OF course - postal cards lnvoiVe
more labor in the handling than one leu
ter. but the cost of carrying them can
not be reckoned at so many times tha'
of carving letters. 1t would not be I'M
reasonable to ask that postal cards Ut
sold at a reduced rate-say III cents .
dozen or rs cents per 100, or even hall
A cent apiece. The price paid by the
government for the cards, under tht
contract awarded four years ago, s4I1l
cents per 1000, or less than hive cents per
100. Making due allowance tor the ex-
pense of inspection and handling, the
Governments profit at 80 cents per lOO
would still be sufficient to pay greater
rate for transportation than is paid for
the same weight of letters. AS to pos
tai cards, the suggestion has been maze
and is worthy of consideration that the
people be permitted to make their own
cards. under proper limitations OF size
and weight, and put stamp upon them
II the government can afford to turnlsh
and carry the card for one cent. it can
better afford to do the carrying alone
for the same money. But the better
way would be to reduce the price of the
cards. ...
There is not, so far as we know, any
special demand for a chang in the rate
for second-class matter newspapers ane
periodically, the present figures being
one cent per pound for matter sent reg
ularly by publishers and news agents
and one cent for each four ounces fol
Transient matter. The distinction is in
consistent. however. and there seems To
he no good reason why all second class
matter should not be charged at the
same rate-one cent pound. A change
ia demanded In the fourth class rate, for
miscellaneous matter, which is now one
cent for each ounce, and II Is proposed
To reduce 1t to the same rate as third
class (books and other printed natter
one cent for each two ounces, and con
soIidate the two classes. This course
has been urged upon Congress and rec
commended by the Senate committee on
postofices and postroads. Our postal
service in this class of matter IS inferior
in poipt of usefulness to the public, to
that of nearly every other ciyilized coun-
try, owing to the large, almost prohibi'
tory, rate of postage charged for it. The
cost of sending small packages by mail
often amounts to three, four, or five
times as much as the cost of the same
package by express. But the express
companies do not reach all places where
there are postoffices, and the govern
ment has a practical monopoly of the
business over large proportion of its
territory, while it maintains tariff OF
rates that makes it impossible for many
of the people to avail themselves OF the
service to which they are entitled. Leg
islation has been frequent to the enable
the people to send greater weight at a
cheaper rate in other classes of matter,
while the fourth-class rate has not been
changed. 1t costs no more to carry this
matter than any other, and the discrim-
ination against it is contrary to public
policy. '..
The postal rates need thorough revis-
ion, simpIification and reduction. The
average citizen is unable to perceive any
reason for the division of mail matter
into 80 many different classes, and when
he thinks about 1t he is apt 10 inquire
why it would not be better to make a
uniform rate for all mailable matter.
with possible exception in favor of reg
ularly issued newspapers and periodicals.
A revision on such plan would meet
warm popular approval and would i'm
mortalize the Congress that should. I'M
dertake 70 make II. At any rate some
thing should De done in the way OF re
duced rates, and at once.-Pdper World
THE SMALLEST TOWN,
Vermont has the smallest town in the
United States. II is Baltimore, perched
on the side of Hawks mountain, and is