Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1896-11-20
THE PUSTAL CUNGRESS.
ge,d Once in Five Years BY the
Universal Union.
Next Meeting 20 Take Place In the oni''
States Capital in 1897 - WORE
and objects of the Asso-
citation.

The Universal Postal union hoios
congress once in five years to determine
what changes are needed in regulations
governing the handling of international
mail. The sixth is to be held in Wash
Inoton in 1897. The director OF the
executive committee Of the Universal
Postal union, says the Philadelphia
Times. comes to the United States on
invitation of the postmaster general,
tn make arrangements for the meeting
at Washington. The delegates VIII De
entertained in New York as well as IN
Washington, for in New York they Will
have the best possible opportunity Tor
examining the American system OF
handling the foreign mails, when ID
the most perfect system III the world.
II is possible that they will be taken
/ west to see the operations Of the postal
systems in the other cities-in st. Louis,
4 where the trolley car service origi-
mated, in Chicago and Cincinnati.
There are thirty-eighu countries In
the postal union, and the mail from
more than 200, COO local post offices il
handled in the international system.
The United States alone receives
81, CSC, 900 for foreign postage each year
and pays out less than that sum for the
service. The international mail is car
ried at a profit, while the domestic mail
is carried at loss of 100000 a year
The fact that there is q profit in hand
ling international mail is the text OF q
good many postal reformers in Eng
land. We collect $3.50, 700 year from
recipients of letters from foreign points
on which postage has not been prepaid.
This is equal to one-tenth of the sum
received for prepaid letters. OF the
sum received on letters bound outward
the United States gets only share.
Often there is actually q loss to
this country in forwarding letter to
remote point. Every country through
which the letter passes collects toll
from us on these letters. On the letters
j.: received not fully prepaid we collect
double postage, and the entire amount
belongs to us. We have no reason
then, to complain of the number OF let
ters which come to US unpaid; yet the
|. double postage is penalty intended t.
: be constant reminder to the people O
;. the necessity of preparing postage. II
. spite Of the penalty, one-tenth OF tn
!. foreign mail received in the Unitet
States is not fully prepaid. Probabl..
3 this is because the man who sent tn
letter is not subject to the penalty.
= The chief question to be considere
- at the congress of 1897 is the propos
:; ton to make the intermediate nation
handling letter transport it for moth
ing. This proposition is made in tn
:, interest of simplifying the accounts {
r. the postal service. Under the CONVEX
- ton now in force the nation by whic
~ n letter is forwarded pays to each int
mediate nation francs per kilo for a
mail in. transit. This increases mat
rally the cost Of forwarding letters
distant points. For instance, lett
to Turkey will go from New York
London, then to Belgium or Holland,
RI Germany, to Austria, to Hungary al
then to Turkey. A kilo is two and on
al fifth pounds or thirty-five and or
re fifth ounces. Although the post
IS, union carries q half-ounce for cen
ri the average of letter-weight is lie
is than that maximum. The estimates
ice the postal union are made on basis
Id. three letters to the ounce. Thereto
of francs, or $50 cents will carry LOG
'cs tiers through one intermediate count
SO On 1O6 letters to Turkey the Unit
ng States post Office department would ?
he 3S.6 cents to each of the intermedii
to countries - five in ALL This wo,
wo amount TO more than ~ cents on ea
re- letter. considerable tax, and {
cx- which would put penny postage"
err foreign mails quite out Of the questi
the This tax, of course, is supposed to
lell balanced by other governments on
the tiers set through the United States
Canada, to Mexico and New Zealand
lin There will be $50 delegates to
hly postal congress, and it has been s
osi- they will be handsomely entertain
hes during their visit to America two We
els hence. The form of their enterts
.z1e mcnt is now under consideration
Get the post Office department
.ful --------