The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-01-16

snip lines through adVdlltdSeou
contracts for carrying the mails, ;
policy which has nearly beer
brought to a successful conclusion
, by the present head of the Depart
ment.
Mr.. Creswell found the rates o
postage from the United States tc
all other countries diverse anC
exorbitant-the letter rate, tor ex.
ample, to Great Britain being :
cents halt ounce, to the rest O.
Europe from IS to 81 cents, to Asia
about 81 cents, while to South
america it itranged from 2oto34 cents.
Being a believer in the policy OF
cheap postage, he at once set him
self to work to bring these rates
down, beginning by very radical
proposition in this direction to the
government OF Great Britain, whose
ships were then carrying most of the
worlds mails, and following this up
with analogous proposals to other
nations, so that when the time came
to make his next annual report,
which was in November, 1870, he
was able to announce the completion
of arrangements by which postag e
on letters for the United Kingdom
was reduced to cents, for Germany
and Austria to 7 cents, and for most
OF the other countries of Europe to
10 cents. The rates were also lowered
about 20 per cent. to Asia, IS per
cent. to Brazil, and about 3SB per
cent. to other South American coun-
tries.
Not content with these great
results, however, he continued his
labors in the same direction year
after year, until, at the time he went
out OF office he had made many
more reductions to nearly all parts
of the world-succeeding in making
a somewhat liberal convention with
France, which had for many years
stood out against any charge what
ever except such as would benefit
her own people exclusively
liberalizing postal conditions, and
increasing postal intercourse, and
putting into practice number of
principles which in the next year
were incorporated into the conven
ton of the Postal Union, which is
now Justly regarded with pride by
all enlightened nations Indeed,
when we consider that the cent
rate OF postage on letters-the rate
established by Mr.. Creswell's con-
vention with Great Britian-was
adopted by the General Postal
Union, and that the abolition of
postage accounts which the union
affected Chat is to say, the estab-
ment of the principle that each
country simply ke ps what postage
it collects), was also first suggested
and carried out by Mr.. Creswell, it
is not out of place to say that TO
him is largely due the credit of that
splendid scheme of universal postal
intercourse.
An important measure recommen-
ded by Mr.. Creswell, and adopted
on the statute books while he was
still in Office, was a change in the
method of paying postage on news
papers and periodicals mailed by
publishers and news agents to regu-
lar subscribers and other news
agents. Under the old plan the
postage was collected quarterly OF
the subscriber, leading not only to
much public dissatisfaction, but to
considerably loss of the revenue to
which the Department was Justly
entitled from this source. By the
new system, which is still in force,
postage was charged at pound rates
and prepaid by the publisher or
news agent with stamps specially
devised tor the purpose The
change was most acceptable one to
the publishing interests, and thous
it effected a great reduction in the
rate of postage, it led to an increase
of the revenue through the improved
method of collection.
While the financial condition ot
the postal service did not give
promise Of justitying an early reduc,
ton in the letter rate OF postage, the
introduction of the postal card it
1872. which was recommended and
adopted under Mr.. Creswell's ad,
ministration, went a long way in that
direction, as it afforded the facility
for sending written as we'll as printed
messages at charge OF cent only.
So we'll were postal cards received
by the public that upward of one
hundred million were sold during
the first year, and this number has
nearly quadrupled inside of ter
years.
1t is within my personal know
ledge that Mr.. Creswell warmly
approved the proposed reduction O.
domestic letter postage from 3 to .
cents in 1882 and. though not ther
in the Post office Department, he
gave valuable assistance in prepar
ing the estimate upon which Presi
dent Arthur based his recommends
ton to Congress in support of tha
measure.
The abuse OF the ranking prvi
lege had been a subject Of most elo
uuent and bitter denunciation in tn,
report of his predecessors in offic,