north america-2-第57章

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post　perhaps　forty…eight　hours　asunder；　but　the　uncertainty　of　the　post　increases　the　habit；　to　the　profit　of　course　of　the　companies　which　own　the　wires；　but　to　the　manifest　loss　of　the　post…office。　But　the　deficiency　which　struck　me　most　forcibly　in　the　American　post…office；　was　the　absence　of　any　recognized　official　delivery　of　letters。　　The　United　States　post…office　does　not　assume　to　itself　the　duty　of　taking　letters　to　the　houses　of　those　for　whom　they　are　intended；　but　holds　itself　as　having　completed　the　work　for　which　the　original　postage　has　been　paid；　when　it　has　brought　them　to　the　window　of　the　post…office　of　the　town　to　which　they　are　addressed。　It　is　true　that　in　most　large　townsthough　by　no　means　in　alla　separate　arrangement　is　made　by　which　a　delivery　is　afforded　to　those　who　are　willing　to　pay　a　further　sum　for　that　further　service；　but　the　recognized　official　mode　of　delivery　is　from　the　office　window。　　The　merchants　and　persons　in　trade　have　boxes　at　the　windows；　for　which　they　pay。　　Other　old…established　inhabitants　in　town；　and　persons　in　receipt　of　a　considerable　correspondence；　receive　their　letters　by　the　subsidiary　carriers　and　pay　for　them　separately。　　But　the　poorer　classes　of　the　community；　those　persons　among　which　it　is　of　such　paramount　importance　to　increase　the　blessing　of　letter　writing；　obtain　their　letters　from　the　post…　office　windows。　In　each　of　these　cases　the　practice　acts　to　the　prejudice　of　the　department。　　In　order　to　escape　the　tax　on　delivery；　which　varies　from　two　cents　to　one　cent　a　letter；　all　men　in　trade；　and　many　who　are　not　in　trade；　hold　office　boxes；　consequently　immense　space　is　required。　　The　space　given　at　Chicago；　both　to　the　public　without　and　to　the　official　within；　for　such　delivery；　is　more　than　four　times　that　required　at　Liverpool　for　the　same　purpose。　　But　Liverpool　is　three　times　the　size　of　Chicago。　　The　corps　of　clerks　required　for　the　window　delivery　is　very　great；　and　the　whole　affair　is　cumbrous　in　the　extreme。　　The　letters　at　most　offices　are　given　out　through　little　windows；　to　which　the　inquirer　is　obliged　to　stoop。　　There　he　finds　himself　opposite　to　a　pane　of　glass　with　a　little　hole；　and　when　the　clerk　within　shakes　his　head　at　him；　he　rarely　believes　but　what　his　letters　are　there　if　he　could　only　reach　them。　　But　in　the　second　case；　the　tax　on　the　delivery；　which　is　intended　simply　to　pay　the　wages　of　the　men　who　take　them　out；　is　paid　with　a　bad　grace；　it　robs　the　letter　of　its　charm；　and　forces　it　to　present　itself　in　the　guise　of　a　burden：　it　makes　that　disagreeable　which　for　its　own　sake　the　post…office　should　strive　in　every　way　to　make　agreeable。　　This　practice；　moreover；　operates　as　a　direct　prevention　to　a　class　of　correspondence　which　furnishes　in　England　a　large　proportion　of　the　revenue　of　the　post…office。　Mercantile　houses　in　our　large　cities　send　out　thousands　of　trade　circulars；　paying　postage　on　them；　but　such　circulars　would　not　be　received；　either　in　England　or　elsewhere；　if　a　demand　for　postage　were　made　on　their　delivery。　　Who　does　not　receive　these　circulars　in　our　country　by　the　dozen；　consigning　them　generally　to　the　waste…　paper　basket；　after　a　most　cursory　inspection？　　As　regards　the　sender；　the　transaction　seems　to　us　often　to　be　very　vain；　but　the　post…office　gets　its　penny。　　So　also　would　the　American　post…office　get　its　three　cents。　But　the　main　objection　in　my　eyes　to　the　American　post…office　system　is　this；　that　it　is　not　brought　nearer　to　the　poorer　classes。　Everybody　writes　or　can　write　in　America；　and　therefore　the　correspondence　of　their　millions　should　be；　million　for　million；　at　any　rate　equal　to　ours。　　But　it　is　not　so；　and　this　I　think　comes　from　the　fact　that　communication　by　post…office　is　not　made　easy　to　the　people　generally。　　Such　communication　is　not　found　to　be　easy　by　a　man　who　has　to　attend　at　a　post…office　window　on　the　chance　of　receiving　a　letter。　　When　no　arrangement　more　comfortable　than　that　is　provided；　the　post…office　will　be　used　for　the　necessities　of　letter　writing；　but　will　not　be　esteemed　as　a　luxury。　　And　thus　not　only　do　the　people　lose　a　comfort　which　they　might　enjoy；　but　the　post…office　also　loses　that　revenue　which　it　might　make。　I　have　said　that　the　correspondence　circulating　in　the　United　States　is　less　than　that　of　the　United　Kingdom。　　In　making　any　comparison　between　them；　I　am　obliged　to　arrive　at　facts；　or　rather　at　the　probabilities　of　facts；　in　a　somewhat　circuitous　mode；　as　the　Americans　have　kept　no　account　of　the　number　of　letters　which　pass　through　their　post…offices　in　a　year；　we　can；　however；　make　an　estimate；　which；　if　incorrect；　shall　not　at　any　rate　be　incorrect　against　them。　　The　gross　postal　revenue　of　the　United　States　for　the　year　ended　June　30th；　1861；　was　in　round　figures　1；700；000l。　　This　was　the　amount　actually　cashed；　exclusive　of　a　sum　of　140；000l。　paid　to　the　post…office　by　the　government　for　the　carriage　of　what　is　called　in　that　country　free　mail　matter；　otherwise；　books；　letters；　and　parcels　franked　by　members　of　Congress。　　The　gross　postal　revenue　of　the　United　Kingdom　was　in　the　last　year；　in　round　figures；　3；358；000l。；　exclusive　of　a　sum　of　179；000l。　claimed　as　earned　for　carrying　official　postage；　and　also　exclusive　of　127；866l。；　that　being　the　amount　of　money　order　commissions；　which　in　this　country　is　considered　a　part　of　the　post…office　revenue。　　In　the　United　States　there　is　at　present　no　money　order　office。　　In　the　United　Kingdom　the　sum　of　3；358；000l。　was　earned　by　the　conveyance　and　delivery　of　593；000；000　of　letters；　73；000；000　of　newspapers；　12；000；000　of　books。　　What　number　of　each　was　conveyed　through　the　post　in　the　United　States　we　have　no　means　of　knowing；　but　presuming　the　average　rate　of　postage　on　each　letter　in　the　States　to　be　the　same　as　it　is　in　England；　and　presuming　also　that　letters；　newspapers；　and　books　circulated　in　the　same　proportion　there　as　they　do　with　us；　the　sum　above　named　of　1；700；000l。　will　have　been　earned　by　carrying　about　300；000；000　of　letters。　　But　the　average　rate　of　postage　in　the　States　is　in　fact　higher　than　it　is　in　England。　　The　ordinary　single　rate　of　postage　there　is　three　cents；　or　three　half…pence；　whereas　with　us　it　is　a　penny；　and　if　three　half…pence　might　be　taken　as　the　average　rate　in　the　United　States；　the　number　of　letters　would　be　reduced　from　300；000；000　to　200；000；000　a　year。　　There　is；　however；　a　class　of　letters　which　in　the　States　are　passed　through　the　post…office　at　the　rate　of　one　half…penny　a　letter；　whereas　there　is　no　rate　of　postage　with　us　less　than　a　penny。　　Taking　these　half…penny　letters　into　consideration；　I　am　disposed　to　regard　the　average　rate　of　American　postage　at　about　five　farthings；　which　would　give　the　number　of　letters　at　250；000；000。　　We　shall　at　any　rate　be　safe　in　saying　that　the　number　is　considerably　less　than　300；000；000；　and　that　it　does　not　amount　to　half　the　number　circulated　with　us。　　But　the　difference　between　our　population　and　their　population　is　not　great。　The　population　of　the　States　during　the　year　in　question　was　about　27；000；000；　exclusive　of　slaves；　and　that　of　the　British　Isles　was　about　29；000；000。　　No　doubt　in　the　year　named　the　correspondence　of　the　States　had　been　somewhat　disturbed　by　the　rebellion；　but　that　disturbance；　up　to　the　end　of　June；　1861；　had　been　very　trifling。　The　division　of　the　Southern　from　the　Northern　States；　as　far　as　the　post…office　was　concerned；　did　not　take　place　till　the　end　of　May；　l861；　and　therefore　but　one　month　in　the　year　was　affected　by　the　actual　secession　of　the　South。　　The　gross　postal　revenue　of　the　States　which　have　seceded　was；　for　the　year　prior　to　secession；　1；200；500　dollars；　and　for　that　one　month　of　June　it　would　therefore　have　been　a　little　over　100；000　dollars；　or　20；000l。　　That　sum　may　therefore　be　presumed　to　have　been　abstracted　by　secession　from　the　gross　annual　revenue　of　the　post…office。　　Trade；　also；　was　no　doubt　injured　by　the　disturbance　in　the　country；　and　the　circulation　of　letters　was；　as　a　matter　of　course；　to　some　degree　affected　by　this　injury；　but　it　seems　that　the　gross　revenue　of　1861　was　less　than　that　of　1860　by　only　one　thirty…sixth。　　I　think；　therefore；　that　we　may　say；　making　all　allowance　that　can　be　fairly　made；　that　the　number　of　letters　circulating　in　the　United　Kingdom　is　more　than　double　that　which　circulates；　or　ever　has　circulated；　in　the　United　States。　That　this　is　so；　I　attribute　not　to　any　difference　in　the　people　of　the　two　countries；　not　to　an　aptitude　for　letter　writing　among　us　which　is　wanting　with　the　Americans；　but　to　the　greater　convenience　and　wider　accommodation　of　our　own　post…office。　　As　I　have　before　stated；　and　will　presently　endeavor　to　show；　this　wider　accommodation　is　not　altogether　the　result　of　better　management　on　our　part。　　Our　circumstances　as　regards　the　post…office　have　had　in　them　less　of　difficulties　than　theirs。　　But　it　has　arisen　in　great　part　from　better　management；　and　in　nothing　is　their　deficiency　so　conspicuous　as　in　the　absence　of　a　free　delivery　for　their　letters。　In　order　that　the　advantages　of　the　post…office　should　reach　all　persons；　the　delivery　of　letters　should　extend　not　only　to　towns；　but　to　the　country　also。　　In　France　all　letters　are　delivered　free。　However　remote　may　be　the　position　of　a　house　or　cottage；　it　is　not　too　remote　for　the　postman。　　With　us　all　letters　are　not　delivered；　but　the　exceptions　refer　to　distant　solitary　houses　and　to　localities　which　are　almost　without　correspondence。　　But　in　the　United　States　there　is　no　free　delivery；　and　there　is　no　delivery　at　all　except　in　the　large　cities。　　In　small　towns；　in　villages；　even　in　the　suburbs　of　the　largest　cities；　no　such　accommodation　is　given。　　Whatever　may　be　the　distance；　people　expecting　letters　must　send　for　them　to　the　post…office；　and　they　who　do　not　expect　them；　leave　their　letters　uncalled　for。　　Brother　Jonathan　goes　out　to　fish　in　these　especial　waters　with　a　very　large　net。　　The　little　fish　which　are　profitable　slip　through；　but　the　big　fish；　which　are　by　no　means　profitable；　are　caughtoften　at　an　expense　greater　than　their　value。　There　are　other　smaller　sins　upon　which　I　could　put　my　fingerand　would　do　so　were　I　writing　an　official　report　upon　the　subject　of　the　American　post…office。　　In　lieu　of　doing　so；　I　will　endeavor　to　explain　how　much　the　States　office　has　done　in　this　matter　of　affording　post…office　accommodation；　and　how　great　have　been　the　difficulties　in　the　way　of　post…office　reformers　in　that　country。　In　the　first　place；　when　we　compare　ourselves　to　them　we　must　remember　that　we　live　in　a　tea…cup；　and　they　in　a　washing…tub。　　As　compared　with　them　we　inhabit　towns　which　are　close　to　each　other。　Our　distances；　as　compared　with　theirs；　are　nothing。　　From　London　to　Liverpool　the　line　of　railway　I　believe　traverses　about　two　hundred　miles；　but　the　mail　train　which　conveys　the　bags　for　Liverpool　carries　the　correspondence　of　probably　four　or　five　millions　of　persons。　　The　mail　train　from　New　York　to　Buffalo　passes　over　about　four　hundred　miles；　and　on　its　route　leaves　not　one　million。　　A　comparison　of　this　kind　might　be　made　with　the　same　effect　between　any　of　our　great　internal　mail　routes　and　any　of　theirs。　Consequently　the　expense　of　conveyance　to　them　is；