Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-09-26
POSTAGE STAMPS.
INTERESTING FACTS CONCERN.
ING THEIR MANUFACTURES.
tits Astonishing to Contemplate the
Proportions to Which This De-
partment Of Uncle Sans
Business Has Grown.

three great industries which
he has taken over to his own
exclusive control and behoof are
The levy and collection Of imposts,
otherwise known as the tariff; the
coinage and issue OF money, and the
issue and sale of postage stamps.
In each Of these three great lines Of
business he is absolutely without com
petition. But it is in his little stamp
business that our thrifty relative has
his greatest monopoly. Postage
stamps cost him only few cents per
thousand to print, and he sells hun
dreds and hundreds Of millions OF
them every year at prices ranging
from $40 up to $1,000 or moro per
thousand.
That, however, is only one way of
looking at it. The printing and sale
Of the stamps is only one-half Of the
transaction, and by the time Uncle
Sam redeems them by performing the
service which they call for, he seldom
has any profit left, and it frequently
happens that he must draw upon his
bank account to make up deficit.
There considerable profit in trans
porting letters by the ton and the car
load between large cities at two cents
apiece, but it is the carrying of the
light mails over the thousands of "star
routes" all over the country that abb
serbs the profits.
1T costs more to carry handful of
letters by mule back to Bitter Root,
or Dog Tooth, or Goose Creek, than
it does to carry whole bag full from
New York to Chicago.
1t is seldom that Uncle Sam in
dulges in anything like sentiment, but
the old gentleman did so in the recent
matter Of the Columbian stamps, and
now he finds it didn't pay. He con
tracted to have 5000 millions of these
made at cost of seventeen cents per
thousand, or little over half million
OF cool cash dollars for the mere item
Of printing alone.
There was quite rush for the new
series when they were first put on
sale about ysar ago, but the novelty
soon wore of, and it became only too
apparent that the public preferred the
old styles.
Here was quandary. Seventy-four
dollars and thirty cents per million
for printing the old style which the
public wanted, as against $40 per
million for printing the new, which
they evidently did not want. How
ever, the contractors generously re-
leased the Government from one-third
of the contract, and he now addressed
himself to the task of working off the
remainder Of the 1000 millions that
were printed and delivered.
And just here shows up one of the
beauties of doing business which is
an absolute monopoly.
When, at the closing up of the year
just ended, Uncle Sam found himself
with $165, 900, 900 Of the undesirable
and unstable "Columbias" still on
hand, he simply prorated the entire
stock among the three thousand and
odd Presidential postoffices in the
country, and sent them ont with in
structions to the postmasters to give
The public nothing else until this stock
shall be worked off
Uncle Sam is thinking Of printing
his stamps himself instead OF letting
out the job by contract, and there
would seem to be no good reason why
Ne should not do SO. He can proba-
ply have it done as cheaply.and as we'll |
N his own bureau of engraving and
printing as it is now done by contract
ind there are many reasons why it
would be beneficial to the public ser.
nee.
Under the contract system the
tamps are made by one firm in New
York, the envelopes are furnished by
4nother firm in Connecticut, while
till third firm supplies the postal
ards.
The Government is under the neces-
ity Of maintaining an agent with as
istants at each OF these places, and
hese agents must exercise the strict
st oversight of the whole business
rom the taking in of the blank paper
0 the sending out Of the finished sup
lies upon the acquisitions Of the
ostmasters.
All these acquisitions must reach the ]
gencies from the postmasters through
he department at Washington, and all
omplaints from the postmasters on
ccount Of shortage or niscount must /
ravel through the same channel, thus !
avolving much delay and red tape.
Then again, all stamps damaged in
he making must be transmitted by j
be agent to the department for de-
truction. If but single stamp is
nperfect on sheet the whole sheet
sent to Washington and destroyed. (,
our or five millions of stamps are
JUS RENTED to the department. every
eek, where they are carefully counted I
nd then burned. This would seem
involve much trouble and expense, {
say nothing of the dangers of loss a
Y accident or otherwise.
It is simply astonishing to contem-
ate the immense proportions to S
hich this stamp business Of Uncle f
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