The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-04
One Cent Postage.

One Cent Postage.
81 have heretofore stated that 1-cent post
age will be successfully demanded in time.
l believe that time is not far off. 1t GER
tainly ought not to be asked for so long as
any deficit appears in the revenues of the
postal service; and here wish to reiterate
the further statement that in my judgment
it ought not to be asked for then until many
improvements and extensions of the SER
vice are provided for. 1t would Lot be just
and fair to a service upon which every eff
fort has been spent for two years to make
1t self-sustaining, aud which now promises
to become so in the next fiscal year, to heap
upon 1t, the instant the balance sheet be-
comes clear, burden OF millions, from
which it could not recover for many years,
and with the existence Of which it would
have to struggle year by year, and then
often unsuccessfully, to obtain the appro-
priations absolutely required for its main
tenance.
"Clerks In post offices ought to be fairly
paid; they ought not to be 0verworked !;
they ought to have rooms in better build
ings: letter carriers ought not to be weight
ed down like pack horses; railway postal
clerks should De paid for the dangers they
face daily; the great majority of post Of
fees ought to be better equipped; fourth
y
cannot afford to pay $500 for fitting his
Office with boxes; rural free delivery, con-
sidered to be q successful experiment., and
about which there can not be two opinions
as to the pIopriety of its further extension,
should be widely extended"
Postmasters' Salaries.
THE fouTth-class postmaster is deserv-
ing of far better compensation and far bet
ter consideration than he receives. / have
tried to help him in the visitatisns Of the
county-seat postnasters. purpose to ex-
tend that same advantage another year, IL
the plan of supervisors is provided for by
Congress; some other way pro badly IL 1t Is
not. The direct compensation of the
fourth-class postmaster, however. can only
be brought about as the result Of busi-
ness proposition. In order to get more
pay he must deserve it, either because he
does more work or because he does great
er variety Of ir. would give him chance
to do both. l would gradually but surely
extend to him tue management of the ru-
raj free delivery, and still more gradually,
but none the less surely. the extension Of
the telegraph and telephone service in the
country and the transfer Of the postal de-
p0sits."
MIR. Wanamaker argues strenuously for
postal savings He reiterates his plan of
last year, and adds: "Another plan, quite
simple and thoroughly practical, would be
to issue at the postoffices non-negotiable
certificates OF postal deposit In sums of
$40. $40, $50 and 500, bearing interest at
the rate of half cent day on the dollar
(S1 S2A per year, after the first of the month
following the date of deposit, and the
principal and interest payable on demand
at any money order Office by proper in
dorsement and Identification under reg
ulations. Of the Postmaster General, the
money deposited In each state to be rein
vested, so far as possible, In the same state
In school or municipal bonds by the Post
master General, subject to the approval of
the Secretary of the Treasury"
Mr.. Wanamaker describes tEe pneumatic
tube systems of Berlin and London, and
strongly recommends their adoption in this
country. He insists that they would pay,
and records several attempts at beginning
such service. A wonderful caEceling
machine, which prevents the delay Of let
ters in the post offices in stamping, has
been employee, and still more wonderful
automatic electric stamper Is in process of
examination.
For Carrying the Malls.
OF the bids under the postal act the Post.
master General says: "Tbe general con.
sensus Of opinion among all classes Of
business men familiar with shipping was
found to be that, in view of the additional
cost of construction of ships in America,
the higher wages of American seamen, the
increased outlay for running expenses tc
maintain the speed required for mail
steamers over and above the average
speed Of freight and traffic steamers, the
mileage compensation under the law was
considered inadequate and not attractive
to capital seeking investment. There were
also others who held the belief that, by
reason Of losses Incurred in past years By
owners OF american steamships, equity
demanded that the appropriation OF the
last Congress should be divided among the
lines, and that the Department was moi
justified In making specifications tha
the future. This view was not concurreC
In by the Department, and after
inviting conferences with representative.
of the shipping interests Of all the impor
tant ports, the department, on the 10Th o.
last July, advertised for 50 lines of service
10 Of them to Great Britain and the Cont
nent, u to South America, three to Chini
and Japan, four to Australia and the Pa
cifc Islands, seven to the West Indies anC
two TO Mexico. The object of the numer
GUS specifications in the advertisement wa
to open the way, within the scope of tht
law, Tor bids In any form most agreeable Il
capital and enterprise. 1t was not expect
ed that bids would be made for more thar
Is lines, and naturally there could not b
much competition for immediate servic,
with the very few American-built vessels
in existence.
so accomplish the schedule, th
Pacific Mail Steamship Company will hav,
to spend from six TO seven mil
lions for new ships, and the lin
to the Argentine Republic, If &C
cepted, will require nearly three mil
lions for three new ships. The fortnight
ly service to China displaces an Englisl
line which has already arranged to with
draw.
"lt is stated with some credence that on
or more OF the very few American line;
would have been obliged to go out of bus
iness but for the prospect of assistance
from the government, which now enable,
them to compete with other subsidze,
| lines, which otherwise would have monopo
| lized trade for other countries"