The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-07-01

 four ounce sample packet for two cents. It costs no more to transport sealed packet than an unsealed packet It must therefore, be alto- gether practicable for the congress of the United States to provide for a one cent two ounce sealed packet service within the limits of the United States The letter rate of England is two. cents for tine first four ounces, one cent for each additional two ounces.
 The adoption of four ounce one cent letter rate bringing the public magazine and newspaper post into Q common category with other general mail matter, would at once eliminate the old offensive spy system which forces our postal officials-public seryants-to be continually questioning the public, their employers, as to the contents of their postal parcels, and there cannot be doubt that the common four cent rate would fully meet the com mon cost. United States congressmen and senators enjoy free postage on letters up to four ounces.
 A one cent letter rate either with 6 two ounce or four ounce unit would result in an immense local traffic that would be exceedingly profitable Up to 1891 the pieces handled in our free delivery services, were careful count ed and the average cost was fonad to be less than one-quarter of cent. per piece; in St. Louis one and three- tenths mills; in Chicago one and fve- tenth mills in New York two and one-tenth mills. These figures indi- cate that with a one cent letter rate the local letter traffic would yield a clear profit of at least seventy-f1ve per cent. 5ysa ,e
 A one cent letter rate would make 1t possible to send a letter, bill and a piece of merchandise in the same sealed packet, carrying insurance if registered up to $25. Tn Sweden says Consul Rergh of Gottenberg, ''pcst parcels must be seaited, may be regis tered or insured, and even sert C.. 10. D.
 As long ago as 1890 London had a two cent free delivery post carrying letters and parcels up to a pound, with insurance up to $50 anywhere within the city limits and the venture prcv- ed so profitable that nothing but the greed of the government prevented its reduction to one cent The German cities enjoy @ common one cent eight ounce letter rate covering neighboring places within distances of forty-six miles,
 With the substitution of electricity for steam and the resulting reduction of probably one-half, perhaps more, in the cost of running our transport ma chinery; with stationary postoffices established at railway stations; with automobile postoffices, with men on board, collecting, asserting, delivering door to door and connecting the differ- ent stationary postoffices with the homes, shops and factories of the people; with postal cars owned by the postoff1ce' or hired at so much mile regardless of the weight of the mail carried; with rural postwagons doing an old post coach business on the rural post routes (the revenues of this now restricted service could be easily in- creased by sSO,O00,OOO during the com ing year), a common rate of one cent a pound, probably much less, could be made to pay the full cost of the transport of all kinds of mail matter.
 For many years the American Ex- pres companies advertised to carry registered magazines and newspapers anywhere on their respective lines within the two zones into which the United States Is divided by the Ohio, Pennsylvania State line parcels up to five pounds for five cents, larger par cells one cent a pound. The present rate is ten cents on parcels up to ten pounds; one cent a pound on larger parcels, and as we understand it, these rates cover collection and delivery to and fro, at least between our greater cities. Within short distances their rates are much less
 What the Express companies are doing at profit, that the postoffice can surely do at cost.
 The least that can be asked of con- gress at it's coming session is the es- tablishment of a one cent two ounce letter post with a weight limit of four pounds.
 Very truly yours,
 JAMES l.. COWLES.