Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-24
POSTAL LEGISLATION.
Nrw Iicns Likely 80 Bcconc Laws
During the Present. session.
IMIlnlnlnhln I-nhmnr

INlllt"lpnld Ledger
Three important postal bills we're passed
by the federal house Of representatives re
Gently. One OF the bills authorizes the
use OF private postal cards with stamp al
fixed; another provides for the insurance.
to the amount OF SO, of all registered pack
ages lost in the mail, and the third bill pro-
yides for rural free mail delivery upon the
petition OF twenty persons at one pOst0iiiCC.
The private postal card project was recon-
monded by the pUstof1ae committee of the
house and by the postmaster general, and
follows in essential features the private
postal card system Of England. The English
private post cards bear an adhesive half
penny stamp, and must correspond in size,
as nearly as possible, 20 the weight and
size of the post cards sold by the govern
ment. The cards just authorized by the
house must not exceed the present Official
cards in length The plan has worked we'll
in England, and our postmaster general
advocates it, for the reason that it would
save to the government the difference be-
tween the cost Of the Official cards and the
price of the stamps, and the government
would not. under the proposed arrange
mCnt, be obliged to transport and store so
many official cards The passage of the bill
met with no opposition in the house, and if
It reaches the final stage of legislation 1t
win go into operation July |, 1887.
The bill providing for the insurance Of
lost registered letters and packages iiNoS
the maximum insurance at $40, and no fee
is required in addition to the existing rates
for registered matter. The English statute
goes much further. The British regulation
cxacts fee of 2d in addition to the regular
postage to effect an insurance Of about $40
on lost packets; but an insurance to the eX-
tent Of nearly $3.50 can be secured for lid.
Mr.. Quigg opposed tho bill passed recently
on the ground that an insurance fee Is
rot eEactcd as we'll as the ordinary postage
charged for regis cred packages; but Mr..
Bingham showed that only 600 packages
were lost I'm the mails last year cut of more
than 100000 registered, and the bill passed
With feeble opposition. In any event, the
loss 30 the government under the bill would
not be large. and The innovation will be
highly advantageous to the public. 1t is
he impression with many that the govern
rucnt comDensates the sender Of lost regis
tered packages but the security of this
class Of mail matter lies in the complete
systCm by which packages gone 8stray can
be traced The fact that a very small mum
Der of registered letters are lest, while so
many millions reach their destination, shows
how efficient the department is in this re-
spcCt.
Free rural mail delivery presents grave
difficulty, inasmuch as it would entail great
expense upon the government to furnish
carriers in sparssly settled districts. 1t
would be a decided convenience, but the
success of the system in the densely popu-
lated rural districts Of England furnishes no
guide for thz introduction of free rural de-
livery here save in certain selected regions
The passage of The measure was resisted by
Mr.. Bingham. an expert IN postal subjects
who argued that the scheme would increase
The liability 10 mail dCpr2latiOns The bill
passed by the significant vote Of 1O1 to 13.
Doubtless the proposition could be made
feasible in many portions Of The country II
The reforms recommended by the president
and pcsmaster general could be effected
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