The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-03-18
POST OFFICE And
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The Board of Trade Dis
cusses These Two
Questions.
Mr.. DEAR SAT ON.
He Opposes Mr.. Wanamaker's Pei
Scheme and Is Squelched.

interesting meeting last night. A dele
CATION was present from the Merchants
Protective Association of Hudson county,
and succeeded in urging the Board to use
its influence with the Board of Aldermen
to secure the passage of the ordinance
now pending relative to the appointment
of a city salaried inspector Of scales,
weights and measures There are at
present six inspectors, one for each dis
trict in the county, who are obliged to
make one visit a year, for which each re-
ceives a fee from the merchant. Mr.
James Z. Banks, of the association, who
is also a recently elected member of the
Board of Trade, said the present system
was an injustice to the merchant, and the
relief asked was for the benefit of the
buyer. Mr.. Charles Furst, although a
victim, failed to see the injustice. He
urged as an objection that if an inspector
was salaried the people would have no
guarantee that the work would be per-
formed, whereas if he works for a fee he
is bound to inspect. Other gentlemen
took part in the discussion pro and con,
and one gentleman intimated that he had
overheard a member of the Board of
Alder men say if it were not that it re-
OuCEQ Uu6 AQtlDeI Ol OlllCldlS JI6 bOaT0
would have passed the ordinance long
ago.
Counsellor James Flemming, chair
man of the Committee on Law and Legis-
lation, reported that he had prepared an
act looking to the incorporation of the
Board, and had handed copy to Senator
Mcdonald.
The Board decided to cooperate with
the Merchants Association of Jersey
City in trying to influence the Pennsyi-
vanla and Central Rapid Transit Compa-
MES to erect stations at the Jersey avenue
and West Side avenue crossings. The
Board will also petition for station at or
near Baldwin avenue.
A copy of the petition recently for
warded by the joint committees to the
COMMITTEES on Public Grounds and Build
ingS of the House of Representatives. as
requested by William A. McAdoo, was
read by Secretary Doane. The petition
sets forth that the present Post Office
building was totally inadequate for the
rapidly increasing business of this city;
was situated in a part of the city almost
exclusively occupied by residences, and
at considerable distance away f, ON the
main retail business thoroughfare,
through which the city horse car lines
pass TO the ferries to New York The
present te.wastnconvenient also, because
OF its great distance from the manufae-
turing centre, and its location such that
from many parts OF the city it can only
be reached on foot.
JERSEY cITY's INCREASE.
To show the rapid increase of popula-
ton and business interests in this city the
committee forwarded the following in
formation:--
Increase in Population-1S40, 3,033; 1850,
1000; 1860, 29,226; 1870, S2,00O 1880, 121, 900;
1880, 1S5, 600
Capital Invested-1sSO $11 900, 900; 1883.
SIG, 100000 1890, $19, ,2500O0,
Production-1SS0, $50 474, 900. 1888. So
291 900; 1890, $50. .260, 600
Increase III number of letter carriers in
ten years, from June 80, 1879, to June 80,
1889, 40; increase in number of letters,
postals and newspapers delivered, 4 606-
058; collected, 4,632 ia; increase in post
age on local matter, ST, IA. 20.
Gross post office receipts for 1880, $l19,-
S72, A; total expenses, $66, ,294 9S; net reye-
nue., $50, 577 46; per cent. expenses to gross
receipts, So. 20.
The committee urged the selection of a
site in the vicinity of the conyerging car
lines.
The event of last nights meeting was
the debate over the approval of resolu-
tion adopted by the New York Board of
Trade, urging the passage of Postmaster
General Wanamaker's proposed bill look
ing to the passage by the Government of
Limited Postal Telegraph system. Sec
retary Doane gave brief synopsis of the
proposed bill. 1t is proposed that the
Government contract with one or more
telegraph companies to use the present
postal system, the post Office clerk to do
the telegraphing. The kilograms are TO
be paid for in stamps, and the system to
be used only where there are letter car
riers. 1t is proposed to open up the way
TO large increase of social kilograms bv
reducing costs to ten cents for twenty
words, ,and not more than twenty-five cents
for over 800 miles
MR.. DEAR KICKS.
Mr. Joseph A. Dear took the floor in
opposition to the proposition to cooperate
with the New York Board of Trade in
urging the adoption of Mr.. Wanamaker's s
scheme. He declared such a measure
would be step in the direction of State
Socialism. Private corporations, he said,
had given us better telegraph system
than any government in the world had
given its people. The lnen who use the
telegraph could well afford to pay the
present prices.
Alderman Hoos jumped on Mr.. Dear's
neck with both feet for favoring Drotec-
tion for a small class to the exclusion of
the masses. He could not see why the
poorer classes should not have the benefit
of the telegraph as well as the rich
Counsellor James Flemming also took
issues with Mr.. Dear. He thought MIR.
Dear made a mistake when he said the
merchant paid for his kilograms. The
customer pays the cost of the merchants
telegram every time. Mr.. Flemming
urged that the government could CON
struct the telegraph at cost; we would
only have to pay the interest thereon in
stead of paying interest on water. 1t
was now proposed to squeeze the water
out of the Western Union and other tele-
graph monopolies.
Mr.. j. j. Detweiler was inclined to the
opinion that if the present postal system
was in the hands OF private individuals it
would cost the people more than two
cents for postage on an ordinary epistle.
The government had given us a good
postal service, why can it not give MS d
good postal telegraph service? ass
SORRY TO DIFFER WITH MIR. DEAR
Mr. Dear replied that Alderman Hoos
misunderstood him With the single ex-
ception of the English governments, all
foreign governments controlled the ave-
nues of communication. We don't mis-
trust our government. But in times OF
partisan excitement one party VIII not
trust the other.
1T is beyond the means Of private indi-
yiduals TO give us such a postal service as
that with which we are now favored
Our present postal service does not pay.
We are taxed for the public good Nine
tenths of all the kilograms sent are OF a
business nature. The cost comes out of
the profits. where it naturally should
come from.
Mr.. George A. Heaney was surprised.
he said, to find himself differing with Mr.,
Dear But all the same he differed with