Arizona Silver Belt

OUR POSTAL FACILITIES

The numerous complaints of inadequate mail service under the present administration, have availed at least in directing attention to the defects in our postal system which, in some respects, is inferior to that of several European countries, notwithstanding our assumption of superiority in matters pertaining to administrative progress and national enterprise. It is a fact that in the matter of postal facilities the United States has always been behind England and Continental Powers in reducing the rates of postage and extending and perfecting the service. This, of course, was in part due to the great expanse of territory to be covered, which was sparsely inhabited and, until recent years, supplied to a limited extent only with railroads, so that the expenses on many routes have been excessive when compared with receipts, causing an annual deficit of many million dollars. Even now of the 400,000 miles of mail routes, less than one-third are traversed by railroads.

A large proportion of the irregularities complained of occur in the West and could be easily corrected by an increase in the railway mail service and a reduction of the time schedule on a majority of the stage routes. At present the force of mail clerks charged with the distribution of mail on transcontinental railroads is insufficient and, as a result, matter is frequently carried beyond the transfer station and reaches its destination only after a protracted journey. Again there is little effort made for close connection between rail and stage, and the time allowance on many stage routes—as is the case between Florence and Globe—is unnecessarily great.

What is needed is not cheaper postage so much as more efficient service, although a reduction of rates on third and fourth class matter, and of the registering fee, would meet with public favor and supply an urgent want for the cheaper transportation of packages. By reducing the rates one-half on matter of this description and removing or modifying the weight restriction, so as to permit the sending of larger and heavier packages through the mails, the Government would soon acquire a large share of the business now monopolized by express companies, and the revenues would be so increased as to render the department self-supporting. Germany is ahead of all other countries in the efficiency of its parcels post. There merchandise of almost any description can be sent through the mails at small cost, the charge on a package of 100 lbs. weight being only $1.09. The extent of the business done in this division is shown by the official statement that almost seventy million packages were carried in 1885, of an average weight of nine pounds, and the revenue yielded by the parcels post for that year was $7,776,272. The Republican party missed an opportunity to make a popular and wise recommendation in its national platform on the line here suggested, instead of stupidly advising the cheapening of letter postage which is not now oppressive, and a reduction of which would result in an increased annual deficit in the department.