The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-30

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Wo1Amakpr II business-liks document
~ hos hoon reared to msrcantils pursuits.
~ A. q : business view. in the mercan-
~ 1890. of Tho relations Of the govern
Nent % the postal servics. Whether this
= - broad and proper view y open to
zoo1c1ion. Il y question whether the
en1syfnG q he mails BY the government IL
~ ~ y - ceosidsrsd = business matter
- 40 negcoutiIe sense. It isa question
Nj6tIkos COST ce profit should b controls
h4oe iDnuential factors In the discussion
r. 80 mottm.
Nh delivery was not undertaken BY the
GoVDEnmeut - Incorporating or strictly
hu1tneoo proposition. Properly speaking.
= = O arrangement BY which the people
~ oetive1y eerye themselves individually.
In heoauso "a reference to this service
oq1lbality. certainty. regularity and
Ieompt Dispatch were prime essentials. At
Nhotsvor necessary cost. Ill Of the people
must = served. There must b equal GER
to1nty 81 the service Of those communities
thot can only b served ct loss q Of
thooo Mat aro served q I profit II would
mol - inoonslstsnt with the rule a. to
oGher public service II they were wholly
Sustained BY general tax. But while all
~ SERVED and accommod ated. some are to
> ~ greater extent than others. There
fcso ne propristy Of paying : part Of tho
expenss b. direct charge against those
Who transmit Or receive mail matter.
From this point q view the question Of
profit and loss on the postal service Is
nersly IN ascertainmsnto Of the proportions
paid By general taxation and by the pay
ment Of postage. respectively. According
% the report the expense Of the postal ser
vice for the past year was e66 6l5 .0s8; tho
receipts from postage $60.S5s. 7s3, leaving
what no styles . "defcit" Of $5.7s6, 800.
Int broadly considered the one item 10 no
more 81 s'de6cit" than the other. Over
slxty millions were paid In the shape Of
postage; less than SIX millions by general
tnxation. It would be neither inconsistent
nor unjust II = much larger proportion
we're derived from general taxation.
There Il no dollars and cents credit side
- the governments account with the
army. the navy. the agricultural bureau or
other dspartments-with these It il all
outgo and no income-and yet none Of
49, y % largely and constantly beneficial
- The whole people as is the postal service.
But ~ do not count the expenditures for
any Of these departments IS Z 'deficit +"
The real ds6cit. IL there be any. IL in the
latter mail. The amount received for letter
postage r. stated in round numbers at
thirty eight millions: the expense at eight
millions: the psopls paving themselves
thirty millions more than Il cost them to
transmit their letters. But there ID more
than an Offset for this In their delivery to
thsmselves Of other mail matter at greater
cast tor carriage than was covered by post
49,.
In reference 10 the effect OF . re duction
Of letter postage to one cent experience
does not justify the apprehension of con-
seQuent serious reduction Of the depart
nentss revenues. The anvarying expert.
enco Of this and all other countries JUST.
nes . belief that reduction of one-half--
provided Il BE- within the cost Of carriage
b moro than doubling the volume of mail.
wfli actually produce an increase OF net
revsnus. And the report shows that
double last years amount Of letter mail
can b carried for considerably less than
would Be derived from . portage rate Of
one cent.
But It Il on the point Of govern ment
buildings that Mr.. Wanamaker's strict
business ideas are ct widest variance with
nheral public opinion. He favor s." says
Ne dispatch, wherever practica BILE. one.
story. inexpensive buildings for postofices,
ana avs that TO move out Of 500 rented
room, safe and ample for postal business,
(. into 100000 building where the janitor
alone gets more salary than the rent Of the
former place, cannot b justified ON any
business principle"
This view Il only consistent with the
ides that the government Il q
close-nstsd money making insti'
tution. Il would apply equally to the
rsntine Of plain and humble quarters for Z
national capitol. custom houses. minis.
barracks. and the utmost simplicity in the
construction and nttings OF cruisers and
lino1of-bettle ships. In oil ages Of the
void The charactor and style Of . govern.
mentss public buildings have been accepted
. : gauge a. IT. Advancement in civiiisar
don. ana * ths progress Of its people in
uoolth. oxu1hitooture and osthetic taste
!. \ 49, ronpoc1o tkIs 4 NOT . nation thai
W = = - huildlnRs Or cheap