The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-18
ONE-CENT LETTER POSTAGE.

Ter DuL Ltlle lhOuSnL because the price OF
single stamp seems so trifing. But
when these trifiing amounts are computed
by the year. they assume proportions
which, in some cases, seem almost incred-
ible.
For instance, If the person who writes
only one letter a week were asked 10 pay
direct tax of 50 cents a year; or if the
person or family sending five letters a
week were charged direct tax of $40;
or if the smaller dealer sending but TWEEN
ty letters a week had TO pay $500 tax;
or If the larger merchant sending one
hundred letters per week were taxed
5000 per year, while the tax on others
would amount, in some cases. to as much
as $50, 600 per year, it is likely that such a
storm of popular Indignation would sweep
over the country that no congressto nal
representative would have the temerity to
propose such unjust and popular legisla-
ton.
And yet, when the postal matters are
analysed it will be found that every letter
writer. IN paying two cent letter postage,
does pay the above tax, for, according TO
the postmaster generals report for 1890
(the only report in which the subject of
one cent letter postage is exclusively
treated) 1t will be found that letter postage
pays a clear profit to the government of
$40 per cent, which means an annual profit
of about eighty cents, provided one letter
is mailed each week.
Probably no one will claim that the real
purpose of the government in monopoliz-
ing the mailing business was to charge
every letter-writer in the country profit
of $40 per cent, when private corporations
would be glad to do it at a profit of 10
per cent, and yet such is the case, and a
careful investigation of the cause of this
condition reveals the startling fact that
while certain legislation may be primarily
designed for the benefit of the public, ii is
possible for the same legislation to be
diverted from its original purpose, and
employed to advance private interests at
the expense of the general public.
An apt illustration of this will be found
in the creation of second-class mail mat
ter. The government wisely foresaw that
the rapid and general dissemination of
local, state, national and foreign news,
would stimulate the mental development
Iectual standard of the American citizen;
develop high qualities Of ability and self
reliance and add to the general sum of
intelligence. The present high standard
of average intelligence in the United
States in comparison with that of foreign
countries vindicates the wisdom of the
government in providing that legitimate
news publications should be handled by
the government at such a low rate as
would facilitate their widest and freest
distribution.
But when the discovery IS made that
under the guise OF disseminating useful
knowledge" such books as THE Fate of
a Libertine;" How He Ruined Her"
Dangerous Delights The James
Boys" and other degrading publications.
can be mailed at one-eighth the price re-
quired to send copy Of the BIBLE, or a
regular scientific or pnilosophic volume. it
can readily be seen that this law has been
so shamefuny abused as 10 require heroic
methods to restore il 10 its original pur-
pose.
This entire subject has been carefully
analysed by the postal committee Of the
recently submitted by him. and approved
at the recent annual meeting held in
Washington, calls attention 10 many facts
with which all should be come familiar.
In this report the fallacy IS exposed Of de-
termining the question Of one cent letter
postage by a superficial examination of
the financial report of the department as a
whole. The question can only be consid-
cred intelligently and justly when each OF
the five classes of mail matter are treated
separately and upon their own merits.
This will become apparent when Il IS borne
in mind that one class of matter pays a
profit OF 80 per cent and some OF the
other classes loss OF ST. and 100 per
cent; and the demonstration is made still
more forcible when statistics show that
one firm by literally using one class Of
mail matter is forced to pay profit OF
S30. CO., while another firm by literally
using a different class receives a direct
bounty of $50. 90.
This report clearly demonstrates the Jus
dce OF reducing letter postage 10 one cent
per ounce, but. at the same time. offers
the very conservative recommendation
that one cen; per half ounce be asked Tor
at this time. While this VIII represent
but little saving 20 those sending heavy
letters. s; will practically furnishe ore
cent letter postage 70 The great mass OF
the community II Ee are justified II
judging by the past experience, this
change would. within very short time.
result n Increasing the revenues instead
OF diminishing them, <or il -S;4 when q
reduction was made II letter postage %
g 10 per cant the revenues for the hrst
year showed a falling OF OF ozly Per
cent while SIX years later the revenues |
had grown 3 l-3 pe- cent greater than |
during the last year under the higher |
rate. As the change PROPOSED b The |
5 not 10 reduce The rate Der |
ounce, but only apply the same rate fo- |
each hat ounce, L may &c safely cor /
cedeG that TIE reduction Il revenue from /
some letters VII soon Be fully balanced /
and prooably exceeded. b TIE revenue /
derived from new business directly re-
sulti1g from he stimulus OF the oze csnt /
rate.
\ carefully prepared table, Il this re-
port shows that ore publication RON being
handed and distributed ~ ne post@l
department., al 81 per esat loss, coz