The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-19


thousands Of dollars annually in reply
postage. Under the present system, every
reply on pOstal-cari costs ten cents
every reply under seal. twenty cents.
ana, again i may be SAD ma. ,he
adoption Of the proposed system would
mean TO the mercantile ana commercial
interests OF the country, 40 Tar as re-
piles are concerned. a reduction IN postage
IRON Ten cents To one cent, ana from
twenty cents TO two cents-a change
more radical than that OF 1919. when the
rate was reduced from an average OF
htteen cents (the latter rate being rom
SIX TO twenty-five cents). TO I'VE ceuts-
Inc reduction OF a. like all otheI re-
auctions In this country and England,
clearly demonstrated that a reuuclioii ia
cost resulted in increased cohsufnp,on'
but IN each case there was an lmnenihee
falling of ia the postal receipts In the
proposed legislation We have ferlclIoii
IN rates, or at least what Is equivalent 10
II, with increased revenues ana Increased
facilues from the start Inc PROPOSED
pan - very simple one. AHsleau OF
sending out stamped envelopes When re-
plies were desired, the cards or envelopes
OF the association would be used, thus
not only insuring against the misappro-
priauon OF the return postage, but pIdc-
tcdlly granting credit, AZ the return
postage would not be paid until AFTER lAe
reply was actually received. Inc paiuta
making use OF the cares or thNeiy.'eT
would drop their reply IN the post
just d. illfF NOIlO 30. viii az bAAi'+'''s
missive; the Office would cancel the cou-
pom as they. would stamp, and forward
IL 10 the office OF delivery where the
coupon would be detached ana the COM
municauon delivered. the coupons Wouu
De redeemed by the postage dsSOclahoh'
and at stated intervals presented TO the
firms whose names appeared thereon, anu
the postage collected. II would, OF couIse,
he necessary for the association 10 seculN
Itself BY bond or otherwise against IRE
spOnsible firms, but those OF good stand
ing would be untrammelled IN thelr
orders.
The House Committee on Post-Ohices
and POst-ROads has unanimously report
cd I'm favor OF the passage OF the bill.
which provides that IL shall be LAWFUL LOT
the cards and envelopes, with coupons al
tached, 70 be carried through the mans
OF the United States, under such rules
and regulations as may be prescribed py
the POstmaster-Gcncral. ana the postage
thereon al regular rates PAID on pc,
sentatlon or coupons from sdlu catuS al"
envelopes. that the association ahall en-
ter into a bond with the Jnite9 Slales
and deposit one hundred thousand doliala
ln cash 10 insure the redemption OF Cph-
pons, that 10 shall be unlawful 10 cndiise
the printed name or address, ana mat lh'
ana every piece az matter passing 'litV"El u
the mails which shall be covered 10y
letters patent OF said association. Ihus
The Government is absolutely secured
fNHAlA'N ANa's many HLA'ttr '-''-''t
have been received by the association
from al over the country, from which
10 is CLEANED that there VIII be an IN
crease from five TO ten times I'D me
amount Of return matter sent out lhe
plan is "a very simple one, ana It's adoption
would not interfere with or cause any
fri ,tiOn in the machinery OF the postal
service, as fl IS free from com9lcatt-
details and cumbersome metnod7. III i7
IN line OF progress in postal hgpiiahce-'
and is iar M advance or me present r4s-
tom. These cards ana envelopes Wuuid
be further used in an cities Whtfe iitr
delivery Of the mail exists. ~ a noHlhai
cost local dealers could supply tnrlf cu1-
toners WITH the cards and envelopes, ana
orders could be- dropped Al any time INTO
the nearest mail-box. and thereby a ldrte
increase Of postal revenues would be ftai-
lied from this source that does not exist
to-day and al the same time serve 'lhe
public convenience.
In their report the House committee
state that "the following reasons for eN-
tending this privilege must be recos-
First 1t would facilitate the use Of
the mails for business and trade pur-
poses.
Second IL would enable tradesDeoD,e
10 do 80 per cent. more business WIN
the same expenditure
Third. II would give 10 local dealers
a new system Of soliciting orders from
their customers.
NLIlM. III MUMIu Servo lAAN COLI CHI
ence Of the public ion mailing their or
dcTs. instead OF being required 10 deliver
them al the particular place or business
Fifth II would Increase the revenues
by the increased advantages offered.
AS illustrative Of this latter point lh-
committee refers to the case OF a Chi
cagO paper Ghc Record, that rs now send
inc out 100000 letters each year with
reply postal-cards. Should the proposed
system be adopted they viii send OUT fNe
times as many they say. Now, Dr. all
these were local letters, AT least seven
cghths of the money paid for this postage
is "a net profit TO the Government. I'm
other words. ths ier postal revenue from
S. $50. Under The proposed system the
profits would Dee five times as lmucn, or
S431JD. from which amount should Doe
deducted the Governments prONt, or Hu
closed for replies, but never returned
Not considering the cost OF the cafda
OBJ 81 cents per thOusandl, or the expense
OF handling them, the go per cent. giohi
would De- $500 which. added 10 the
500 900 letters now sent Out tSo,io0. gives,
under the present system, net prOul OF
Sf3.1-1. Deduct this from the pfont UNI
der the proposed plan. and the net gain
in revenue of t3O.50O is shown. a thou
sand times this result for all the buel-
ness men Of the entire United states,
would give an annual increase OF N3''Ni-
200 net postal revenue as result OF the
adoption Of this new system mis- &C.
corling TO the estimate OF committee
Of Congress 10 must Doe remembered.
Those directly and Immediately bene-
fitted by the adoption OF this system
would. Of course. Doe the business men
generally in the free-GcNVery towns ana
those who patronize them; but ALL even
those living in the most soafsely tied
sections of the country, would eventually
DE benefited. as the surplus revenue would
enable the department. through the pro-
uoerd LEGISLATION 10 carry out the desires
of the people for faster service, better
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