The record-union., 1896-03-12
ONE CENT LETTER POSTAGE.


year adopted resolutions advocating a
one-cent rate for letters through the
United States. Ever since then the
board has been waging an active cam
paign in that interest
Without, in this article, considering
the answer to the arguments of the
board, their possible weakness or their
strength, and which must be taken up
separately, it is profitable to know why
the board pushes it's campaign, and
what are the reasons it advances for
the proposed change. That body is
sufficiently important, and is persistent
enough to make it unsafe to ignore the
movement it is promoting.
The original resolutions adopted by
cited that the cost Of carrying mail
matter is but eight cents a pound,
though at present sixteen cents is
charged upon fourth-class matter. and
thirty-two cents pound on ffrst-class
matter. These rates it is claimed are
necessary to meet an annual loss upon
the carriage of other matter estimated
to exceed $16,000000, and this is
chargeable mainly to the handling of
second-class matter at one cent a
pound
The free delivery service, it is alleged,
loses to the department something like
S12,000000 a year, and that this is due
largely to the franking privilege
Therefore the advocates of one-cent let
ter postage argue that there is unfair
ness, inequity and injustice in the whole
system, and discrimination that is at
war with the principles of good Govern
ment. The fundamental principle Of
absolute fairness, says the board, de-
mands such correction of the system as
the statement of the facts justifies, and
as business wisdom commands.
The reform. the board urges, would
come in the shape of reduction of letter
postage to one-cent an ounce, or six
teen cents a pound; the merger of Sec
one class at a rate of one cent for two
ounces weight. or eight cents a pound
Lastly, that to every department. of the
Government should be charged the cost
of its postal service, to the end that
each department may be made to show
to the people just what it costs them to
maintain and operate it,
Upon the formulation of these state
ments and appeals the board raised a
committee to investigate the whole SUBJ
ject and push the campaign of advocacy
for the reforms indicated. This COM
mittee has issued much literature upon
the subject. Among other arguments
recently advanced it has set out these:
That one-cent letter postage would be
profitable to the Government, since the
income from two-cent letter postage
more than four times exceeds the cost
of carriage; therefore, if the rate should
be reduced to one cent, there would still
be very large margin of profit upon
the carriage of letter matter
Second matter, says the com
mittee, aggregates loss to the Govern
ment in carrying of eighteen and half
millions of dollars and over, and that
this is due very largely to the abuse
permitted by the transmission of novels
and fiimsy literature of every variety,
under the guise of regular issues, or
magazine or newspaper publication.
The loss on this matter is asserted to be
no less than eighty-seven and one half
per cent.
On this point the committee says:
For instance, the "Police News" and
police Gazette" the Report of the
Breckenridge Trial" "Rube Burrows.
King of Outlaws" 1.-THE James Boys"
Fate of a Libertine,'' "Demi- Monde of
Paris" Dangerous Delights" "How
He Ruined Her. and numerous other
degrading publications, issued at regu-
lar intervals, are carried by the postal
authorities, under existing law, at only
one-eighth as much as is charged for
carrying a copy of the Bible, or a stand
ard scientific volume; only one-six-
teenth as much as is charged for carry
ing the same weight of merchandise.
and only one -thirty-second as much as
is charged for carrying letters This
particular industry, because of the un-
natural stimulus of receiving a direct
bounty of eighty-seven and a half per
cent. upon one element of its legitimate
expense, threatens to increase from
year to year so that the deficit resulting
IL 3
greater and greater.
Now, say the committee, the makers
of books are in the business to get
money. precisely as are other manufact-
urers, why then should there be dis
elimination in their interests and re-
fusal to aid the business of other men
in like manner? Why should the dime
novel publisher have his product car
ried at one cent pound while the peo-
pie are charged thirty-two cents a
pound for carrying their letters?
But, and that much of the response
must be interjected here, the establish
ment of the changes asked for would
fall very heavily upon newspaper pub
fishers. The committee therefore asks
every newspaper publisher to send to
it an answer to these questions, ad-
dressed to the committee at the Phil
adelphia Bourse, Board of Trade rooms:
Would the amount of money you
would save in your Office by the reduc-
tion of letter postage to one cent equal
the additional amount you would be
required to pay on the mailing of your
own dailies if that rate were changed