In 1840, Alvin Adams started an express delivery company with little more than "two men, a boy and one wheelbarrow". The mail delivery opportunities were endless, and express delivery companies like these were wildly successful at that time. But in 1841, the U.S. government began cracking down on the private express companies. By 1845, laws were passed so that only the U.S. Post Office was authorized to carry letters for a fee. So, enterprising individuals like Alvin Adams circumvented this prohibition by delivering letters free of charge for their express customers. Private industry and Alvin Adams won. By 1880, the Adams Express company employed a workforce of 15,000 people and was valued at $27 million.
President Arthur, in his 1884 annual address to congress complained of these express delivery companies who in his own words had "better facilities than have hitherto been at the command of the Post-Office". Instead of writing new laws, this time the government decided to try and offer it's own free delivery system of letters. By 1884, the US postal service was already offering free home delivery of mail in many large cities. By "free", I do not mean the cost of a stamp, the sender pays that. Today, most of us enjoy free delivery of mail to our homes. According to USPS the free delivery system started in 1863. Arthur suggested that this model of "free delivery" could be replicated across the nation and be self-sustaining.
"The free-delivery system has been lately applied to five cities, and the total number of offices in which it is now in operation is 159. Experience shows that its adoption, under proper conditions, is equally an accommodation to the public and an advantage to the postal service. It is more than self-sustaining, and for the reasons urged by the Postmaster-General may properly be extended.
In the opinion of that officer it is important to provide means whereby exceptional dispatch in dealing with letters in free-delivery offices may be secured by payment of extraordinary postage. This scheme might be made effective by employment of a special stamp whose cost should be commensurate with the expense of the extra service.
In some of the large cities private express companies have undertaken to outstrip the Government mail carriers by affording for the prompt transmission of letters better facilities than have hitherto been at the command of the Post-Office.
It has always been the policy of the Government to discourage such enterprises, and in no better mode can that policy be maintained than in supplying the public with the most efficient mail service that, with due regard to its own best interests, can be furnished for its accommodation."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). Chester A. Arthur: Fourth Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29525 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2018].About.usps.com. (2018). Significant Dates - Who We Are - USPS. [online] Available at: http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/significant-dates.htm [Accessed 29 Jan. 2018].
Adamsexpress.com. (2018). Adams Express - History. [online] Available at: http://www.adamsexpress.com/files/u2/adams_history.pdf [Accessed 29 Jan. 2018].
Encyclopedia.com. (2018). The Adams Express Company - Dictionary definition of The Adams Express Company | Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary. [online] Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2690200009.html [Accessed 29 Jan. 2018].
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