Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-28


as possible. Hundreds of thousands of let
| tiers carrying small amounts in silver or
| postage stamps are transmitted every year
| through the mails. These letters are con-
slant temptation to those handling them,
! as it is easy to identify letters inclosing
| currency.
with the extension of the rural free
| delivery service to the remote parts of the
! country, the use of the proposed postal
| checks would go far to provide the relief
| SO urgently demanded, as it would conven-
| fently serve those sections of the country
| not heretofore covered by or adjacent to
| money-order offices or the banks of the
| country.
| The Foreign Parcels Post.
| 1.-THE parcels-pos convention with Ger
| many was in the nature of an experiment,
| being the first convention concluded with
| any of the principal countries of Europe
| 1t has now been in full operation three
| years, sufficiently long to enable the depart
ment to determine whether it should be
| continued in force, modified terminated
| after six months notice.
! From the statistics taken it appears
| that the average weight of parcels dis
patched from this country to all countries
| only slightly exceeds 312 pounds. The aver
! age weight of parcels dispa tched from this
| country to Germany is 2 % pounds The,
! domestic postal service of this country does
not permit the introduction of parcels
| heavier than pounds in weight; therefore,
| in view of the fact that pounds, aS
| limit of weight will fairly meet the re-
! quirements of this country, the second as
| sistant postmaster general recommends the
| tender of parcels-post conventions with
! England, France, Italy and other countries
| of Europe, similar to that now in force be-
tween this country and Germany, with the
exception that the weight of parcels be
/ ff~l A ,Ir, .-;.y H.
! notice be given to Germany of the desire of
this country to modify the existing conven-
ton as to reduce the weight of parcels
from IL to pounds.
Domestic Rates to Europe.
"The domestic rate of postage is cents
for each ounce or fraction thereof; the for
eign rate is 5 cents for each half ounce or
fraction thereof. A letter which would cost
but cents to transmit in the United States
would require 10 cents in postage, or five
| times as much, if sent to England.
1.-The business and social relations of the
people of this country with those of certain
European nations have grown to such ex-
tent that it is believed the time has come to
| reduce the foreign rate of postage, the
present rate being considered excessive and
a hindrance to the development of COM
merce and trade between the United States
and the great commercial nations of Eu-
rope.
Il recommend. therefore, that negotia-
tons be undertaken with Great Britain
Germany and France for the purpose of
modifying the rates of postage suggest
ed, believing that correspondence would be
stimulated to such extent that within a
very short time it would result in an in
crease in the interchange of communica-
tons, which would bring greater returns
than obtain from the present rate. Such a
result followed the reduction in the do
nestle rates of postage.
Supports His Third Assistant
1.-The taking away of the subsidy to mag
azines and other periodicals and compelling
them to pay the government a rate which
will save it from actual loss would so in
crease the revenues as to in very great
degree pay for the introduction of the rural
free delivery service
! Il heartily concur in the recommendation
of the third assistant postmaster general,
who has fully treated of this subject in his
report and urge upon Congress the serious
consideration of this subject as in the in
terest of the whole people.
Many Recommendations.
The following recommendations for legis-
lation, some of which have heretofore been
made, are submitted for the consideration
of Congress:
THAT the extension of free delivery to
towns of not less than 5000 population, or
5000 gross annual postal receipts, be au-
thorized.
That substitute letter carriers in cities
of 1900 population and over be guaranteed
monthly earnings of not less than $50, and
in cities of less than $4,000 population not
less than $25.
THAT rural letter carriers be allowed an
annual leave of absence of not to exceed
fifteen days with pay.
THAT the max mum fee for a money or
der be fixed at % instead of 30 cents
That section of the act of June 49,
1898, chapter 446 providing that assistant
postmasters, cashiers and other employees
of post offices of the first, second and third
classes shall give bond direct to the United
States. be repealed, and that a statute be
enacted requiring such officers to give bond
directly to the postmasters, and holding
postmasters responsible under their own
bonds for any and all acts and defaults oc-
curing at their respective Offices
That the interstate commerce law be
amended to prohibit common carriers, to
wit telegraph and express companies or
any of their employees, from aiding and
abetting in the green goods or lottery swim
dies, or any other scheme carried on partly
by mail and partly by common carrier and
which is in violation of the postal laws.
That the department be authorized to
adopt system of postal checks
That statute be enacted authorizing the
receiving and dispatchng of certain classes
of mail matter without the necessity of
aftiXing postage stamps to individual pieces
That an act be passed comforting upon
the department specific authority to intro
! duce a system Of reply postal cards and en-
velopes
Authority to print in book form the opIn-
ions rendered by the assistant attorney gem
eral for the Post Office Department.
That provision be made for new and
suitable building for the manufacture and
repair of mail equipment, the quarters at
present occupied being entirely insufficient
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FEARS FOR THE BANNoCKBURN