The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-12-14
Make Postof1ce Private Concern.

To turn over the postal service Of the
United States to private corporation un-
der strict public control is the remarkable
proposal made to the Postal Commission.
w. d. Boyce, of Chicago, publisher,
man of big affairs and several times mil
lionaire, made the proposition, on behalf
of himself and associates, whom he did not
name, to take over the postoffice business
and run it on business principles.
The proposal includes agreement imme-
diately to cut postage rates in half. There
could be no deficit under such an arrange
ment for the Government to meet, because
the corporation would have to make ends
meet.
MIR. Boyce wants the postal corporation
under postal commission which shall be
the regulating and supervising agency of
the Government.
He proposes to pay Uncle Sam rental for
all postofice quarters occupied In public
buildings, and over against this he designs
to charge the Government regular rates for
all services performed for it. These Gov
ernment services he now estimates at $25,
900, 600 annually. At half the present
rates this would be cut to $12, 250, 900.
Applying business methods to postoffice
affairs would result in immense economies
in transportation. Mr.. Boyce figures that
the expenditure for railroad haulage would
ha ont from $40 600. 900 to about one
half that sum.
He calculates likewise that ornamental
or political sinecures would be eliminated
The "political postmaster would get
short shrift, and the deputy who docs the
work would be the recipient of the high
salary and the honor of the Office.
Mr.. Boyces proposition, he insists, is
made in the utmost good faith. Certain
it is that it affords most effective talking
point from which to point out the weakness
of present postal management. Direct
comparison of the present postoffice organ
ization with methods commonly prevailing
in private business and in great public ser
vice corporations is considered by the pub
fishers the most effective method of demon
strating the unreason of restrictions which
the department is disposed to impose upon
them. Mr. Boyces proposition may have
its "hole in the skinner" but its author
doesn' think so. He says good manage
ment will make business pay at half OF
present rates.
CAN I want is to get my proposition
taken seriously" he declared. "After
that it will be easy, for the public wants
lower post rates. am not man to be
making bluff at thing like this; | have
too many interests that could be seriously
injured by such course The backing is
ready to form a corporation and take over
the pottal service on the terms | have out
lined
'sOf course we would propose to develop
the business, as any private business man
agement would do For instance, we have
plan of rural postal express, which rural
carriers would receive and deliver goods
on their routes, carrying the packages out
side the mail.
This would not extend off the given
routes. 1t would make every country
store mail order house, and would bring
an immense measure of support to the
plan from the very people who are afraid
of the parcels post lest it should kill the
country merchant.
''But doesn't your plan include any re-
cognition of the parcels post, or some pro-
vision for it p
sNo, that's too unpopular, replied
Mr.. Boyce. "Maybe it will come some
day, but we don want to assume respon-
sibility for it now. IF Congress ever
wanted it, to introduce it under our system
would be simple.
'sAnd you haven't figured on the pos
sibility of the postal savings bank attach
ment to the service?"
"No, that hasn't been taken up The
service can be developed and expanded in
its functions just as fast as Congress
wants, under our system as well as under
any other. We would want to make il
earn more revenues; we would make the
rural delivery money earning end of thu
service, of an expense as now, and W.
would take mail to every house in the land
aYou know that the Postofice Depart
ment doesn't own postofice buildings, d.
you not? These are built by the Treasur,
Department and owned by it. The i'm
mense cost of rental of space in them fo
postal purposes is not charged to the pos
tai revenues. Well, We propose to pa,
rental. We propose regulations that vii
develop the business; that's how we vii
make the profit. Reducing the posta