The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1895-12-10

~
G@AS s asseg. rs sums INSURE s5
their safety the
senders paid 10 the government eight
cents on each letter. besides the post
age, Nevertheless they will get not
one cent OF compensation for their loss.
No wonder that the registry business
OF the postoiiloo department il steadily
diminishing. The people are losing
confidence In the system as a means OF
Insurance. Though the fee has been
reduced from ten TO eight cents, the
number OF letters aud parcels regis
tered during the last fiscal year was
less than 1900 900. Four years ago
the number exceeded 10 900 900 annual
ly What IL wanted Is safety. and the
system does not give IL. says New York
World.
When mail ear or postoffce ~
robbed, II h. always ;he registered mat
ter. advertised on It's face as valuable.
that IL taken. In 1860 the Postmaster
General Of the United States advocated
the abandonment Of registration on the
ground that Il was fruitful only OF
danger 10 what q was designed TO pro-
tect.'
The remedy is very simple. The gov
, eminent ought TO grant compensation
for registered letters lost or destroyed.
Nearly all foreign countries give such
Insurance in Great Britain, for ex-
ample, the registration fee is only
cents. and II the letter Is not safely
delivered TO the addressee an indemnity
II $40 is paid 20 the loser. A graduated
series OF fees is 40 arranged that the
sender OF a parcel can insure II up to
$3.50, this maximum guarantee requir-
ing the payment Of % cents The par
eel must be marked with It's value
Il is stated in the postal regulations
OF the United Kingdom. rather quaint
~. that payment Of such Insurance will
be- made by the General.
mot In consequence Of legal reliability.
but voluntarily and as an act Of grace.
Registration Of money or jowelry &c
compulsory, such articles gre not per-
mitted 10 be sent IN the ordinary mails.
At the same time. parcels addressed
10 foreign parts canno, be- registered,
though for india they may be- insured
The British government pays np 10 40
for the value OF any ordinary unregls-
tered package that Is lost In lie mail
service. This applies only In the Unit
ed Kingdom. and Il does not govern at
all u the parcel is impropery wrapped
or contains eggs, liquids or very fragile
articles.
Nearly all foreign countries insure
letters and packages up to SO In their
domestic service without extra fee On
the other hand no indemnity Is paid
even for registered mail matter by the
United States. brazil Bolivia. Para
quay. Uruguay. Chill. British india. Ja-
pan and Congo. These are the only eX-
oeptlons to the general rule. The Third
Assistant Postmaster-General Of the
United States in his last two annual re-
ports has recommended to Congress IN,
granting OF an indemnity on registered
letters and packages not 10 exceed $40
This Is sure to be done sooner or later
Turning TO the regulations OF the In,
tCrnational Postal Union. one finds thai
the sender Of a registered package to q
foreign country is entitled TO $40 IL
case OF loss. unless the latter has beer
D Occasloned by force majeure'
Ing war. This indemnity must be pal,
by the government that dispatches th,
package. However. that government
may recover the amount from the gov
= eminent in whose territory the los
was incurred.
The adoption by Uncle Sam Of an in
demnlty limited TO SO would lncreas
the confidence Of the public at yer
little cost. During the last fiscal yea
e5i pieces Of registered matter Wen
lost Surprising the maximum pay
ment TO be granted IN each ins;anc,
the entire expense OF such lnsuranc
would be $3.50 for the twelvemonts
This Is a trine compared with IN
money gained that would accrue to N
government from the increase In IN
registry business that would follow N
acceptance Of the Indemnity plan. tn
latter would take from the ordinar
mails vast number Of money letter
and would make the transmission
such letters much more safe.