Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1883 — Two Cent Letter Postage. [ARTICLE]

Two Cent Letter Postage.

The Postoffice Appropriation bill as finally passed establishes two-cent letter postage to take effect Oct 1,1883. While this reduction from the three-cent letter postage will be gratefully received by the public, it will inflict an estimated loss of four to five millions a year at first on the postal revenues Between now and next October the department will be able to get rid of a large stock of stamped envelopes The three-cent stamp is much handsomer than the twocent, and it will be in order after the reduction takes effect to interchange the colors and designs After Oct 1 there will be comatively little use for three-cent stamps. By a separate measure the House readjusted the pay of Postmasters, so that officers of the fourth class will receive under the lower rate of postage about as much pay as they get now. The bid also adjusted the salaries of 47,000 Postmasters, which the Chairman of the committee explained had been rendered necessary by the action of Congress in reducing the rates of postage, to take effect on Got, 1 next. The Dill retains the present classification of Postmastera The salary of the Postmasters at fit Louis, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia was increased from $4,000 to $6,000, ana at Cincinnati, Baltimore, fian Francisco and Washington from $4,0U0 to $5,000. The compensation to second and third-class Postmasters remains as at present. The rate of compensation granted to fourthclass Postmasters has been changed so that they will receive about the same compensation under the 2-cent law as they did under the 3-cent law.