Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
.S.POSTAL SYSTEM
SUBJECT OF STUDY
Outline Of Progress Made in
!. important Branch of
Public Service.

Plans for a study and possible reor-
eanization of the United States postal
system recently announced by Presi-
dent Hoover turn attention In this in
niSpensable service of the modern world
and emphasize the surprisingly short
period during which postal systems such
as we know them today have operated
says o bulletin from the National Geo.
graphic Society.
TAKE as an index" continues the
bulletin, 1.-The adhesive postage stamp,
an outstanding feature Of all present
postal systems. One is tempted to con-
slider 1t along with coins, which have
been In use for $500 years. But the
little colored rectangles of paper with
gum on their backs, which are used by
the billions each year throughout the
world, were born only 81 years ago in
England
Period Of Royal Messages.
"Some men have found it desirable to
exchange written messages since the
art OF writing was developed; but the
idea that any of the people shall be
free to send letters and that the Gov
eminent shall attend to the carriage
and distribution has developed very
slowly. In order that public postal SyS-
tenn shall come into exiStenuce and thrive
in country there must be considerable
degree of literacy among the people
and ut least some suggestions of DEM
ocHatic thought. These conditions did
not exist at the dawn of recorded his
tory; and so the first postal systems
are found In Babylonia, Egypt and Chi
ma to be mere courier services to keep
the kings and emperors and govern
n1ent officials in communication with
their subordinates. Some of these sys-
TENS, such as that of Darius of Persia
about 500 BIC, were elaborate. Posts
or stations were established at inter.
walls along the highways and at them
horses were kept in readiness. Inter-
ference with the Kings messengers was
on pain Of death. The idea that they
might carry messages or objects for
private citizens would have been con-
sidered not only preposterous, hut trea-
sonable rs well These eally Persia n.
courierS carried bricks, for the mes
sages were impressions baked into clay.
Rome, too, had it's official postal
system the Cursus Publicus, an eff
cIent service Of couriers who galloped on
horseback or ratified in chariots over
the great highways that radiated from
the capital. But again the service was
connned to official correspondence: only
by bribery or log-rolling could prosper
Gus or influential private citizens occa-
sionally have their messages carried by
the Cursus. In those days, those who
were learned and wealthy enough to
SEND letters must send them by their
own servants or slaves. or by caravan
leaders, ship captains. or travellers. It
was IN these ways that the early Chris
Ian writers distributed their epistles to
distant congregations.
Private Mail for Merchants.
"Cn into the Middle Ages the idea ex-
tended that a country'S postal service
was the Kings post for governmental
use only. such service was maintained
by Charlemagne and by lesser rulers.
But m the meantime trade between
communities was expanding and the
mercantile class was becoming more
and more important. Better and
SW1fter communication became reces-
Sary; 30 side by side with the Kings post
CheTe grew up the private messenger and
courier and even express and freight
services Of guilds and associations of
merchants. Later cities in which mer-
camille activities predominated operated
such messenger systems. About the
same time the early universities, notably
the University of Paris, finding that
their students from many lands needed
q communication system, organized
their own messenger services. Molias-
ter1eS also sent mail by travelling friars
TO other establishments of monks.
THE first instance in relatively mod
ern times In which the public was adj
1n1tted to the use of the royal post was
IN France in 14s1, under Louis XII. The
rates were SO high, however, that only
Few mobiles were able to- take adyan-
tage OF the privilege. More important
was the step taken in 1874 by Philip
or Spain and Germany, who, finding
his royal purse unable to pay the con-
tractor who operated his governmental
courier service. granted the latter the
privilege Of carrying mail for private
citizens for a price. During the re-
niainder Of the sixteenth century and
thereafter the practice of carrying mail
for individuals and organizations was
adopted by many Of the governmental
services of Europe.
q. S. System Grew From British.
1.-THE postal system Of the United
States had its roots directly in the
British system. The latter grew up by
degrees from the royal courier service.
as on the continent. During most of
the seventeenth century the postal
privilege was 'farmed out, but In 1885
ADVERTISEMENT