The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-11
THE UNIVERSAL POSTAGE STAMP.
What Has Delayed It's Adoption
Present System Profitable.
Ter in New York Post

washington Letter In New YORK POST.
One of the topics which bids fair to be
brought prominently before the approach
ing international Postal Congress is the
universal postage stamp. For many years
persons who have a large foreign cor
r~espondence have been annoyed by the diff
Guilty, when writing on a business matter
of interest solely to themselves and not TO
the persons at the other end or the me,
of inclosing postage for the return letter.
The only way it has been possible TO do
this has been to buy English or French or
other needed stamps of a dealer who keeps
the unused stamps of foreign countries Tor
sale to collectors. The other alternative is
to tell their correspondents TO sehd tnelt
letters without prepayment of POSTAGE; put
this in it's turn brings it's punishment, Tor
the receiver in such a case is requlred to
pay double the regular rate OF postage.
Persons who have a great deal of that sort
of writing to do have been clamorlng for a
stamp which could be bought at
it's face value and sent to any part or the
earth with the assurance that 1t would pre-
pay a letter back to the sender;
The reasons assigned for not bringing the
subject to a definite conclusion at former
congresses nave been based upon the as
sumption of peculiar difficulties OF inter-
national bookkeeping, or the dlHerence III
local postage administration in the various
countries, or some kindred objection. Inc
true reason, however, has been the reiuc-
lance of the representatives of the United
States at these gatherings to let a universal
stamp be adopted, in view of the revenue
which would thus be lost to our govern
ment. AS it is now arranged, the govern
ment which delivers an unprepaid letter at
destination pockets the double postage
charged the receiver. Our government
would, from that point OF view, welcome
q mail by every steamer made up Wnoly
of unpaid matter. The commercial lnstlnct
is strong with the average american posfar
servant, and he does not stop to consider
that our government and our people are
substantially interchangeable factors, ana
that what takes money out OF the pockets
of the citizen does not enrich the country,
ever though it drifts into the vaults OF tne
treasury; nor does he always reflect that
what a postal system is for IS 10 save
money and time and trouble to the lndlv!u-
ual who makes use of it, ana not 10 raise
revenue for the government when manasts
it. If John Smith in New YORK can go 70
the nearest branch postotiice ana puy a
scent stamp to inclose in a letter TO WI
liam Jones, of London to prepay sh9 mT aI7
better served and much better sauSileu
than if he sends his letter to Mr.. Jones
without inclosure. md, on recelvl Ios c tI9 ~ 10
paid letter in return, has to pay ~ cents 70
the United States government Tor II. II Is
not a question with him of which govern
ment gets his money, but of why ne shoulo
nav 10 cents for a service which would nave
been Just as well rendered for ..
1t is a fact that our government pronts
largely by the existing system IN tne IlfSt
place our people are very much slvgn ~
foreign correspondents, and are mtelllSeHI
enough and well enough on to prepay tneIt
letters. A great mass OF the lelters sG4o
abroad are from adopted clUzenS WIZ wlltes
to their friends at home IN Engiana,
France, Ireland, italy, etc. When me
friends at home answer, particularly II they
are peasants, they do not understand thelI
obligations well enough in most cases, ana
i'm many others hey are too poor, 10 prepay
their postage. The result OF the Wnole
transaction is that our government does
only half the work with each letter, anu
takes fifteen cents-five for the outgoing
letter and ten for the answer-for the com
plete exchange. True, the fifteen cents comes
ali OUT of the purse of one of our own peo-
nile. but what do our postal servants care
for that? They are where they. are, not
TO save money for the individual American,
- - -. IL +In ho1 n Chalt Of orr POST
office Department compare faVorably this
Iaar with last. If practicable; and the more
money they can bring in from any source
the easier they will be able to do this. 1t
is to be hoped that the foreign delegates
to the coming ongress will press the mat,
ter of an international postage stamp, anC
that they will succeed this time IN spite OF
the coy attitude of our own delegates.
Another question, not directly related 70
what has lust been considered, when VIII
come before the postal congress, is that OF
compulsory standard colors for stamps, SO
that postal clerks may know the amount
from the color. This would be very conVen-
lent in handling foreign mail matter IN an
American office. In case a piece comes
i'm from Siam the clerks would know from
the color of the stamp just what had been
paid and whether it was right. our own
department has persistently refused CO.
operation with other nations in this partlc-
Mar each third assistant postmaster gen
eral apparently taking delight In selecting
colors to please his fancy.