The Development ofAmerican Postal System

In the early days ofthe United States,postalcharges were paid by the recipient and charges varied with the distancecarried.In 1825,the United States Congress permitted local

postmasters to giveletters to mail carriers for home delivery,but these carriers received nogovernment salary and their entire compensation depended on what they were paid

by the recipients ofindividual letters.In 1847,the United States Post Office Department adopted theidea of a postage stamp,which of course simplified the payment for postal

service but causedgrumbling by those who did not like to prepay. Besides,the stamp covered onlydelivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a private

address.In Philadelphia,forexample,with a population of 150,000,people still had to go to the post officeto get their mail.The confusion and congestion of individual citizens

looking for theirletters was itself enough to discourage use of the mail. It is no wonderthat,during the years of these cumbersome arrangements,private letter-carryingand

express businessesdeveloped.Although their activities were only semi legal,they thrived andactually advertised that between Boston and Philadelphia they werehalf-day

speedier than thegovernment mail. The government postal service lost volume to privatecompetition and was not able to handle efficiently even the business ithad.Finally,in

1863,Congressprovided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail from the post offices toprivate addresses should receive a government salary,and that there should beno

extra charge forthat delivery.But this delivery service was at first confined to cities,andfree home delivery became a sign of urbanization.In 1890,of the 75 millionpeople in

the UnitedStates,fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free to their doors.Therest,nearly three quarters of the population,still received no mail unless theywent to their

post office.What is the mainidea of the passage?

A.The development ofa government postal system.

B.The increasing useof private mail services.

C.The history ofpostal stamps.

D.The comparison ofurban and rural postal services.