Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-20
oNE-cENT POSTAGE
May Ccme Eycn Sooner Than Mr.. wana-

| May Come Evcn Sooner Than Mr.. Wana-
maker Prophesied 1t Would.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20.-lf the rate of
increase in the postal revenues contin-
ues, the postofice'd department is likely to
become self-sustaining sooner than Mr..
Wanamaker estimated 1t would when he
made his first annual report as postmas-
ter general. Sixth Auditor Coulter, of the
treasury department, who has charge of
the finances of the postoffice depart
ment, returned to his desk two days
ago to find that the revenue OF the de-
partment had increased at such a rate
that the deficiency for the first quarter
of 1892 was only about one-half of the
deficiency for the first quarter of the
year preceding. Here are the fig
ures: Deficiency for the quarter ending
March 81, 1891, 1856, 1927. .89; deficiency
for the corresponding quarter, 1899,
$372, ,485. In the argument which he
presented in his first annual report lin
which he favored the reduction of letter
postage to one cent?, Postmaster Cen
eral Wanamaker figured that the de-
ficiency for the year 1890 (known) and
for the years following would be as fol-
lows: 1890, $5,7S6, 300; 1891. $5,55S, ,615;
1899, $500, 1862; 1898, $2,793, ia; 1894,
e1 ,814, $50; 1895, $500, ,461.
The deficit in 1896, he said, would be
so inconsiderable that the postoffice de-
partment could then be considered self
sustaining. AT the rate of increase for
the first quarter of 1899 (the calendar
year 1892 and the third quarter of the
fiscal year 1892 as welD the deficit for
that year should be only 81 ,489, ,952, or
less than one-half the deficit which Mr..
Wanamaker anticipated in his estimates
of two years ago.
This ought to bring the postoffioe de-
partment to self-sustaining basis next
year. In the light of this possibility it
is highly probable that there will be
renewal in Mr.. Wanamaker's annual
report of the recommendation for a re-
duction of letter postage to one cent
per ounce. 1t has never been the
policy of the government to make the
postoffice department self-sustaining and
whenever it has seemed likely that this
would be brought about, the service has
been improved in some way or the cost
of the service has been reduced SO that
the means of communication should be
made as cheap as possible. Mr.. Wanna
maker has always held that the reduc-
tion of letter postage would eventually
result in an increase ofthe revenue,
Before 1845 the letter rate was COM
plicated one. 1t was reduced and uni
form rate of five cents was established
in that year in the face of small de-
fciency in the revenue. In 1851, the
letter rate was reduced to three cents,
and in 1883 to two cents. Each Of these
reductions was preceded by small
surplus.
The postmaster general, in his report
for 1890, said that the money received
for the transportation of mail matter
was ''trust fund and it is not proper"
he continued, ito use it for any other
purpose than in paying the cost of the
work performed in extending the con-
venience of the service and in reducing
rates"
The house of representatives, If they
could obtain the cooperation of the SEN
ate, could make things very uncomfort-
able for the next congress by cutting the
rate of letter postage in half,
1t would take away about $40, ,000, 600
from the receipts of the postoffice de-
partment and create deficiency which
would have to be made mp by appropria-
tions from other sources.