3rd. The temptation to use printed matter as a cover, or fraudulent substitute for written letters, which even now is unduly strong, would, without safeguards far beyond any yet known, be enormously strengthened.
4th. As the power of mechanically exchanging bags en route is, as mentioned by the Postmaster-General in the House of Commons, but limited, augmentation in weight may, by rendering stoppage necessary, retard the progress of the mails.
Under the first of the above heads it must be added that the sound commercial principle on which the Post Office should be conducted—the full establishment of which was kept steadily in view, and towards which a nearer and nearer approach was made so long as I held the office of secretary—is that each part of the business should be at least self-supporting; every deviation from this principle not only producing direct injury to fiscal results, but becoming prolific as an example. Further, that deviation as respects printed matter is the more objectionable because, as the Post Office has there no monopoly of conveyance, the inevitable result is to saddle it with whatever has to be conveyed at a loss, while aught that is profitable is sure to pass into other hands.
In relation to the third head, that concerning temptation to fraud, it may be remarked that, if the change can be so made as to render fraud under its operation impracticable, objection on this score will of course be removed; and, further, that if the modification necessary for securing this can be made at the same time to reduce labour at the Post Office as regards this special duty, ground for reduction in charge may be established.
Thus then we come to a consideration of means; and, first, it is assumed that the application under review relates only to the primary distribution of newspapers, &c., viz., that from the hands of the publishers or of the vendors; and it is for that alone that just provision seems practicable or is here attempted.
Now it is well known that such distribution in towns, as now performed by news vendors themselves, is very inexpensive, partly because the cost of railway conveyance is less to them than to the Post Office, partly because the delivery is generally performed by boys, but mainly because the newspapers are not individually addressed, each copy of a particular paper serving as well for one individual as another. The first and perhaps only desideratum, therefore, is a means for performing the same duty, viz., the distribution of papers not individually addressed at small cost in the rural districts.
Now the need of individual addresses may be superseded in the country by use of the means found available in towns: in other words, if lists similar to those which doubtless guide the boys in the town delivery be put into the hands of the Post Office rural messengers, the latter will be able to perform the duty of distribution with as little difficulty as the former.
Supposing this plan to be adopted, it becomes practicable to save labour in the Post Office to a much greater extent than at first sight appears.
At present, newspapers posted for rural districts have to be assorted from a mass of papers for all parts of the United Kingdom, and, indeed, of the world. Such as are for a distance have to undergo a like operation at one or more offices on their way to that where, by a final assortment, they are arranged according to the walks of the several messengers. Lastly, of course, each paper has to be delivered according to its particular address.