The Cheap Postage Law

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By the Postmaster General's Report, we learn that the gross receipts of the Post Office Department for the last Fiscal year have been $6,925,971,28, from which $101,388,59 have to be subtracted as being due to Britain, which makes the real sum $6,824,582,69. The ex penditures have been $8,745,771,20, leaving a deficit of $1,921,194,51, to be made up by spe cial appropriation, which can easily be done, as we have a surplus revenue from other sources of $20,000,000. The receipts from all postages have been less by $1,431,696,54, than the past year under a higher postage. The reduction is owing to the decreased rates of postage under the Dew law. This diminution is greater than was anticipated by the Post Office Department, and greater than the friends of cheap postage expected, for it was hoped that there would be such an increase of cor respondence as would make up for the reduced rates of postage. This was the case in respect to the penny postage law of Great Britain, and it was anticipated that the same results would be produced by our cheap postage law. No increase of postage, to make up the deficit is recommended; the report says,” all experi ence warrants the expectation that as the community becomes accustomed to cheap postage, written correspondence will increase.” So think we ; and as stamped envelopes will soon be ready for sale, no evasion of the law will take place by private correspondence— then letters with these envelopes can be car ried by any person without being liable to da mages for infraction oflaw. We hope that no person will ever be found evading the law for the future.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 14This article was published with the title “The Cheap Postage Law” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 14 (), p. 110
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican12181852-110c

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