The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-09

Dullng Lne PRESIDENTIAL election year Ii Is
hopeless to expect that any practical result
will come from the advocacy of a reduction
OF ocean postage. But the time has arrived
when, owing to the enormous development
of the correspondence of the world, this
reform might safely be made without ap-
prehension Of serious loss Immediately, and
with prospectvery soon of substantial gain.
An article on this subject in the CeHtarv.
written by q former Postmaster-G General,
shows that while in 1873 the outgoing mail
to England was considered very large If il
amounted TO 10000 letters, the present mail
consists Of over 100000 foreign letters, dis
patched every sailing day. Ia addition
there are heavy loads Of new papers, maya
zines, books and printed matter in other
forms. A percentage calculation shows
that 51.22 per cent OF tie foreign mail goes
TO England and 20.27 to France. Within the
vast distances Of the United States a letter
only costs cents. That in fact is all that
letter TO Alaska costs, and Alaska is 5000
miles distant from the Eastern States. AS
the distance to London or Liverpool is only
5000 miles, and transportation by sea is
cneaDer than on land and is nowadays
nearly as speedy, there appears to be no
obvious difficulty in efecting a reduction
from cents 10 cents a letter. Mr.. T. l..
James, the writer of the article, suggests
that an ounce should be carried for 2 cents,
and that the postage on newspapers and
periodicals sent from the Office Of publica-
ton should be l cent per pound. Even the
latter charge ought to leave margin Of
profit after arranging what compensation
should be paid the railway ana the steam
ship companies.
reduction of postage on our side of the
Atlantic would probably soon be followed
by corresponding movement in Great
Britain, with which, both in trade and cor
respODGence, we have by far the larges.
transactions compared with any other for
eign country. The English people are well
iDclin to postal reforms. Any govern
ment would be popular that reduced ocean
postage generally to cents, and the change
Is certain TO be made within a few years.
Quite apart from the benefits to commerce
directly spriuging from the cheaEest
postage possible, Mr.. Henniker Heaton,
who has cbampi0ned this alteration from
high to low postage rates with energetic
perslstency, has made it clear that in
short time 1t would be with cheap ocean
postage as 1t has been with inland-a good
source OF national profit. But il the reform
just paid expenses it is desirable 10 sanction
II. A postof1ce should not be looked upon
purely from the trading or investment point
OF view, but as an institution maintained
Tor great national uses. One can hardly
realizA what was the condition Of the world
without the facilities Of communication by
letter and telegraph which now exist.
DR.. J. Woodbridge Davis has been exper-
imenting in the East on a scientific method
Of making a kite useful With very little
further application of ingenuity he may
hope to claim the prize which has been Of
fered for the Invention most successful in
providing means TO rescue the shipwrecked,
either at sea or when vessels have run
ic
get lire passed from rock fast ship 10 the
shore, or from one vessel TO another, and a
dirigible kite such as DIR. Davis has invented
is likely TO solve the problem. BY means of
two lines the kite is held against the wind
very steadily at any required distance, and
by Stacking one and keeping the other taut
| lateral deviation may be obtained TO the
| extent of 80 deg. A third cord attached TO
| the head enables the operator 10 maneuyer
| the kite almost into vertical position. Ii
| would therefore be comparatively easy to
| lower the kite according 10 the direction of
the wind over any object. and as the wind
| generally blows landward when vessel has
| run ashore, crew with such q kite among
| the llIe-savIng apparatus on board could
| take the Initiative themselves instead of re-
| lying upon the rocket apparatus. DIR. Davis
| intends to experiment with tile kite in draw
ing center board boats.
A reprimand at the bar of the English
House OF Commons is no idle punishment t.
Iu protecting itself from Insult or breach of
| privilege the House of Commons is law
unto itself and cannot be called TO account
| by legal process. Judges may commit for
| contempt and their proceedings may be dis
| cussed In Parliament. and their prisoners
| liberated by order Of the crown, or, what Is
| the same thing, order of the Government.
| but an offender against the dignity of Par
| lament cannot look for relief to any out
| side quarter, and his most judicious course
| when he has no defense or adequate ex-
| PLANTATION Is TO make a most submissive
| apology and be profuse in regrets, The
three railway directors who have just been
| ceDsured may consider themselves lightly
| purged OF their contempt. A few DAYS in
| prison would have done them good, and let
| them understand that the tyranny OF which
| they have been guilty is not only contempti-
Die but almost amounts TO a crime. They
had dared to browbeaJ railway employee
| who had given evidence before a Paria-
| mentary commission on abuses connected
| with the hours of labor. and their conduct
| was tantamount to declaration to other en-
| poyes that they might be discharged il they
had tbs courage to be independent. That is
| species OF interference with Parliamentary
| authority which ought TO be put down with
| firm hand. Happily railroad directors are
not monarchs OF all they survey everywhere.
Our Representatives in Congress occa.
| sionally deserve a little entertainment to
keep them from feeling bored by the monot-
ony of politics. and they must have enjoyed
| the one-act farce which brought under
notice the weaknesses of members In the
| refreshment-rooms Mr.. Funston comes
| from Kansas. and possibly had a claim to
| feel aggrieved, seeing that his constituents
are Prohibilionists and perhaps very sus-
| picious about the integrity of any one who
| looks upon the wine when IL is red 1t was
no doubt very ungracioas in the CORE
| spoEdent whose comments aroused the