The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-15
THE POSTAL uNION's WORK.
Cheapened International and United
states POstngc.

Maitland, Fla., Nay 1.-The Postal I'm
ion, now in session in Washington, d. c.,
is quiet but powerful organization, and
for it We are indebted to Germany's pub
lie spirit. II was established in July, 1875.
and has so grown in popularity that it
embraces most of the foreign nations, the
only important exception being China.
The value of this postal union, with It's
international postage rates, may be seen
in the fact that the present generation
has seen foreign postage drop from fifteen
to five cents, and the time of transit has
been shortened i'm a much more remarka-
bic manner, and with the special delv-
cry feature attached as used in this
country.
The great postal reforms and improve
ments of America are of a comparative
~ recent date, Ike the wonderful increase
In the volume of business transacted. Early
in the seventeenth century mails once a
week in summer and once in two weeks
during the nclement winter months. was
all the most favored sections Of our coun-
try enjoyed. When, in 176i, rare Ben
Franklin became Postmaster General he
gave the people a tr-weekly mail. Let
ters in those days between New York and
Boston cost II cents postage. while let
ter from Boston to Richmond Va. cost
were hardly four score postoffices in the
whole country. and sending 1000 miles of
mail routes. There was little profit then
in running mail contract or a postoflice,
and star route frauds were unheard of
anywhere Newspapers and magazines
were few in number then, and only people
in comfortable circumstances could afford
to write often to their nearest and dearest
kindred.
Distance seems to have regulated our
postal rates until as late as 1868 when the
S-cent rate was adopted for letters to all
parts of the country. The earliest redue-
ton Of any Importance came in 1915, when
ordinary letters were carried for cents
within 800 miles but 10 cents was charged
for any greater distance. Then came, six
years later a reduction to cents for a.
limit of 5000 miles, and double that amount
for any greater distance. 1t was not UNI
til after the full benefits of the great Pos
tai Union had become familiar i'm 1888
that our present 2-cent cheap postal rate
was adopted. And the wonderful develop
ment of the country and the remarkable
growth of its postal business are seen in
the fact that in 1898 less than 100000 let
tiers and papers were carried In one year.
while the record for 1898 was over 1926
3l4,9S0 letters, papers and packages The
seventy-five postohlces had increased to
6S,403, and 1890 miles of mail routes to
453,SS3 miles.
1t must not he forgotten that our mail
system. so far as letters are concerned,
| has had sharp competition on the part of
telegraph and telephone companies, not
| to mention express companies, i'm carrying
small parcels and giving money orders
| similar to those issued by the postofIice
money departments. This time COMPETE
ton by the telegraph has been partially
met, however. by the spec al delivery stamp
| of 1885, costing ten cents, which, when at
| tached to a letter, insures it's Immediate"
| delivery from the postofiices to which il
| goes by special carriers held in readiness
| for this purpose. That this delivery sys-
| tenn Is popular and meets a long felt
want" is evident from the fact that it
has so grown in proportions that nearly
| 100000 of letters have gone through this
special delivery department in single
| year, each letter costing the sender twelve
| cents.
The modern postal car OF America has
become wonder to the world. BY 1t all
mail matter in transmission goes into
what may be called a distributing post
office, handsomely and conveniently fitted
| up, and occupying an entire railway car.
! Day and night from two 10 four mail
| agents are at work in these cars while
running taking in and giving out mail
| matter. They understand what routes
/ certain mail Is to go and make a suita-
1
| ables them to exchange mail bags with
mail agents at railway functions and in
| union depots. Under this new system an
| immense amount Of mail matter can go
| from a Maine postoffice to one in Califor-
| mia, and never see the inside OF an inter-
| mediate postoffice. Recently, through the
| use of these modern postal cars all mail
matter for a big hotel Say the De Soto in
| Savannah is put in separate packages and
| delivered in bulk without delay on arrival
| of the train without regard to office
| hours Newspaper publishers are also al
| lowed, under a proper supervision, to bag
| their mail and weigh 1t in their own Of
| fees and deliver direct TO the postal cars,
| thus saving the postoffice department
| time, money and trouble
The universal postal congress now in
| session in Washington, which meets some
| where every five years, Is to-day filled
| with establishment at the rapid and won
derful strides made by postal systems the
| world over but especially in these United
| States, where the brightest intellects have
4 given us innumerable inventions to facili-
tate the work in every branch Of the SER
| vice. II is claimed, too that with these
numerous labor and money saving devices
and methods there might be still further
reduction made in postal charges The
| advocates of an one-eent letter postage
| have not given up the idea that success Is
/ eventually TO crown their labors; and with
| 1t might come an international three-cent
letter rate in place Of the present fve-cent
| one. The postal congress is not a big af-
/ fair in size, yet il considers international
and home postal matters of vast i'm
| portance and the results of its present
session will be awaited with considerable
interest by the commercial and literary
/ circles Of the world
I