The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-12-24
One Cent Postage.

says on the one.cent postage system:
l have heretofore pointed out VIII,
, one cent postage will cost the govern
ment. Let me repeat it briefly in til
light OF the most recent figures Accort
ing to careful estimate, based on tn
count of mail matter made in 1890, ther
passed through the mails during tn
year ended June 30th, 1891, the follow
ing pieces of letter mail, to.wit;
1,763, 1S9, ,40S letters mailed
to other post offices, at
an average OF two cents
each. 5000: ....$35, ,263, ,7SS l.
2S9, ,553, ,445 drop letters for
local delivery, at an av-
erage of two cents EACH. 5,791, ,O6S 9,
1892 ,249 drop letters at,
all average of one cent
each. .................. 376,272 4.
Total postage. ....... Sal ,432, ,129 81
To reduce letter postage to a uniform
rate OF one cent means exactly that the
department will lose one hall of this
amount of receipts. One half would be
$2O,7l6,O64.75. But there has been q
different history connected with past re.
ductions of the rate of postage from that
which would probably follow a reduction
to one cent. For example, the reduction
of 1888 from three to two cents was fol-
lowed the succeeding year by loss of
revenue of only $1,66O,OOO, but there
were large compensations. There was
in the first place the great stimulus i'm.
parted to correspondence at the lower
rate; in the second place, the stimulus
given by the inducement to employ seal.
ed letters in place of unsealed circulars,
whereby the department reaped large
profit; and, in the third place, the in.
crease caused by the inducement to EN-.
pIoy sealed letters in lieu of postal cards,
where the profit was still larger.
1t must be borne in mind all the time
that there be no such compensation in
the case OF reduction of letter postage
to one cent. In fact there would be
little to offset the sweeping loss besides
the bare increase in correspondence
brought about by the lower rate, because
by change from postal cards at one
cent to sealed letters at one cent the
Department would gain nothing but the
cost of manufacture of the card, and
this would be Offset probably by the
cost OF carriage of the greater weight;
and by change from unsealed circulars
at one cent to sealed letters at one cent
there would be no gain whatever. We
have therefore to face in this problem,
that it is ripe for solution by
1893, clear loss to the revenue OF not
ess than $2l 100000 under present con.
1itions, which, If the Department were
20 receive its dues in regard to the credits
belonging to it, would be reduced to a
ieficit of from $4,000 900 to $l1 100000.
have heretofore st ted that one cent
postage will be succe sfully demanded
n time. l believe thev time is not far
1T. 1t certainly ought not TO be asked
or SO long as any deficit appears in the
evenues OF the postal service and here
wish to reiterate the further statement
hat in my judgment it ought not to be
sked for then until many improvements
nd extensions of the service are pro.
ided for. 1t would not be Just and
air to service upon which every effort
as been spent for two years to make it
elf'sustaining, and which now promises
become so in the next fiscal year, to
cap upon it, the instant the balance
leet becomes clear, burden of millions,
om which it could not recover for
Iany years, and with the existence of
hich it would have to struggle year by
ear, and then often unsuccessfully, to
otain the appropriations absolutely re.
lired for its maintenance.
Clerks in post. offices ought to be fairly
lid; they ought not to be overworked; s
icy ought to have rooms in better I
lildings; letter carriers ought not to {
weighted. down like pack horses
ilway postal clerks should be paid for
q dangers they face daily the great =
ajority OF post. offices ought to be better 9
luipped fourth.class postmaster who l
ceives 500 year can not afford TO paw
90 for fitting his office with boxes:
raj free delivery, considered to be a +
ccessful experiment, and about which @
ere can not be two opinions rs to the j
opriety fits further extension, should d
widely extended. These and other a
ings ought to be done, but they can :
ver be consumated so long as a de- a
iency in the postal revenues stares an {
preparation committee in the face. C
AS the first step towards one cent o
stage, recommend the passage Of an n
to credit the Department for all the Y
all carried, no matter where it n
ginates. !,
he recommends the simplifcation of u
stal rates and the consolidation of the G
lrd and fourth.class postage, and shows a
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