Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-11
NOT CREDITABLE.

NOT CREDITABLE.
The Postofice Department ought to be
able to pay for what service it asks OF citi-
zens. 1t certainly was not the intention of
the founders of the postal system that it
should be pensioner on any other than
the Government purse. 1t has no more
right to expect the citizen to serve it gra-
tuitously than has the citizen to ask the
department to provide for the free carriage
OF his mail matter. While the postal sys-
tenn is not self-supporting, because it is
conducted upon the theory of equal serv-
Ice 10 all, no matter what the distance of
mail carriage or the amount to be carried.
the Government, from the general fund of
the people, makes good any deficiencies
due to desperation. When, therefore, the
Postotfice Department comes to the news
paper and asks it to do free advertising for
1t, it does that not warranted by reason,
and that does not conform to the intention
under which it had origin and has expert
enced growth. The United States should
no more permit the Postal Department to
beg advertising of the newspaper than to
solicit cloth of the merchant or labor from
the printer of its stamps and envelopes.
Yet there appears to have grown ND a
practice of begging by the department, one
that does not comport with its dignity or
the demands sofeven-handed Justice. When
the department is about to let contract
1t should provide for payment for publica-
ton of the notice required by the law.
and such We believe was the intention of
the lawmakers when they authorized and
directed the department to give certain
notices. The matter of the amount of ex
penditure is by the law left to the discre
tion of the heads of the department, but
there is nothing in the law, or the theory
OF the postal service, that can be warped
into excuse for the department begging
for free service by the people. The news
paper Is run to make money or at least
to meet expenses, and if it is to do the
advertising of the Government in one in
stance for nothing, it cannot consistently
deny the Government in another instance.
Yet we have the spectacle of the Postal
Department of the United States going to
the publishers of newspapers, like beggar,
and asking them to advertise "free" that
bids will be received for the performance
OF certain work for the department, that
certain examinations are to be held, and
through the department the Civil Service
Commission asks that notice of compet-
tive tests for positions in the rail
way mail service, etc, shall be announced
gratis. 1t must be understood that the
fostmasters are not blameworthy-the
receive their instructions direct from
Washington to have this or that notice
published in the newspapers without
compensation" 1t is very true that the
most Of the advertising ordered by the
department is paid for, but that is no
reason why another portion should be con-
tributed 10y the publishers of the press.
Yet this is precisely what is asked The
request moves upon the plan of the fellow
who purchased coat and wished the
clothier TO throw in pair of pantaloons.
If the law or the regulations require GER
tain notices to be given, they should appear
ia the regular advertising columns, and it
as not legal notice if they appear else
where in the newspaper. The RECORD
UNION has no special complaint though it
has acceded to the request many times to
print certain notices free, but it has added,
as was its rigat, that the United States
Government is "too poor to pay" for the
advertising. OF course these begging
notices do not amount TO great deal in
dollars and cents, but the practice is not
creditable 10 a Government that boasts so
much as ours of its independence and its
surplus" If Congress will not appropri-
ate sufficient to meet the advertising needs
of the Postal Department, let the heads of
the department so state, and the notices go
unpublished, since there is no need what
ever for any deficiency in department
that it is well known is not, and is not ex-
peeted to be, self-supporting At least, let
some action be taken in Congress that will
relieve the post officials from the humiIia-
ton of begging free advertising from
newspapers, and which is done with no
more reason than would exist if they asked
for free coal for the offices, or free canvas
for the mail-bags.