The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-09
SOME POSTAL MATTERS.

Il I -
lT4Tsa ;ess+ s--t .s.Tf s!s9
Washington. January 6.-fChicago Re.
cord Correspondence) ~-when the postal
congress met in Washington last year it
was decided that ON or before January /,
1899. the three principal denominations OF
i the postage stamps of the world should
ne OF uniform color. Third Assistant Post
master General Merritt is the first 10 or
der tho change. and It liz likely that the
coming twelve months viii soc n greater
] number of changes throughout the postal
I union than have occurred before IN any
| one year The cent stamp of the United
states and the frank of like value In for
| eign countries lis to be green. of the same
shade as the old 3-cent stamp. The 2-cent
/ stamp Is 10 remain vermilion In color, and
/ Great Britain's penny purple must con-
i form to it, while IN the case OF #ha 5-ccnt
stamp we Will adopt the blue OF her ~
pence.
Although Mr. Merritt has Instructed the
/ bureau of engraving and printing to dis
continue the old colors and to aaopt the
new, and although the new 1-cent stamps
are peing turned out at the rate OF l2 900
1 a minute from earh press, II will be n
month or moro before the public Will have
4 an Opportunity TO use them. The rules Of
! me pugeau OF engraving aud printing pro-
| woe That the reserve stock of each de-
nomination shall be sufficient TO supply
/ the more than 10000 nostofiices for ut
least tarec months Such n stock OF b.
| cent stamps is on hand, but the temnrt
| ior lrcent stamps Is so great that tho
presses must be kept running continually
| to keep up the reserve OF 100 DD0 nnO
stamps, and in anticipation OF the change
the supply has been allowed TO drop TO
scarcely 15,000000 The quarterly orders
are now being filed. and II is not unlikely
that the new stamps may make their APP
pearance by the LIST OF February. Uniform-
| NY OF color in the stamps OF the same
denomination throughout the world will
pc or the greatest advantage both to the
lostoffice officials and to the tourist The
latter who may not know the money
Vaiues OF the country, at least Will know
mat blue stamp VIII carry n foreign let
Ter, red stamp domestic one aud a
green stamp newspaper
For nearly half century. ever s,nca
the first Issue. in 1851 tho penny stamp
| OF the United States has borne the por-
tfait OF Franklin printed in blue with Tho
exception OF one year. when brown was
tfe color Franklin will still adorn tbe
stamp, but the ink viii he green Instead
lof blue. The officials of The bureau of
engraving and printing are pleased win
the change. which does away with tho
brown OF the Grant five" In the man
uiacture of this ink considerable earthly
material is used, and 1he grit causes an
carry destruction OF the plates There has
been some talk OF substituting for the nor
tralt OF Grant that Of Secretary Stanton.
which II done would make the sixth change
OF portraiture this stamp has experienced.
the. list including Franklin. Jefferson
zaehariah Taylor, Garfield aud Grant
Representative Loud of CALIFORNIA; lis
ready 70 report 10 the committee on post-
oinces and pest roads at its first meeting
bill which viii save the government from
sS,oop,000 TO sl2,00o000 n year In the as-
penEes OF the postal service by amending
the law concerning tho transmission Of
second class mail matter. He follows the
recommendations made by the postmaster
general IN his annual report. and has sub
mitted the bill for his inspection Under
the present law all publications that ar
pear regularly can have the benefit Of the
special rates OF postage allowed 10 gen
uine newspapers, provided they are issued
at stated and fixed periods. and as often
as four times year. Publishing houses
have taken advantage OF this generous
provision by Issuing new and old books
at regular intervals, and have loaded the
malls with them 10 such an extent that
there Is an enormous deficiency N The
earnings OF the postofhce department every
year The bill proposed by MIR. Loud pre-
scribes conditions upon which a publica-
tion may be admitted to the second class.
as follows:
q. 1t must be regularly issued al stated
intervals as frequently as four times a
year. bear date OF issue and be numbered
consecutively.
'2. II must be issued from snosn
office Of publication. which shall be shown
by the publication itself.
"3. II must be formed Of printed PAPER
sheets without board cloth. leather or
other substantial binding. such az diBtin-
guish printed books for preservation from
periodical publications.
"A. II must be originated and published
for the dissemination OF information OF a
public character, or DEVOTED TO literature.
the sciences. art. or some special industry.
and must have legitimate list OF sob
scribers, who voluntarily order and pay
for the same. Provided, that nothing hare
In contained shall be so construed as 10
sdmit 10 the second-class raie regular pub
LEGATION designed primarily for adyertia-
ing purposes, or for free circulation, or for
circulation at nominal rates: and. pre-
yided that all extra numbers OF gocond-
class publications sent by the publishers
thereof, acting as the agent OF an all
sertiscr or purchaser, To siirrasen fur-
nisbed by the inter. shall be subject TO
pay postage at the rate Of ! cent for esery
four ounces or fraction thereof; aud, pro-
vided further, thar II shall not be per-
missable to mail any given article or ar
ticles. or any part Of any particular num-
Der OF a newspaper or periodical fegrc-
gated from the rest OF the publication. rx-
cept at the third-cisss rate or postage.
t1ii.
Chairman Loud will in a few days also
report bill requiring all publishers and
other persons sending Large quantities OF
mail through the posloftices before drp1s
iting In collection boxes 10 classify and
separate tie same in bundles or saoi.s by
States. cities towns and counties 40 the
postmaster general may direct
william e. Curtis.