Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-13
POSTAL REFORM

A FTER Mr.. Bryan Is. electeu pTeSi-
IN dent and Judge Taft has hung
IA out his lawyers shingle In Gin
cinnati and has begun to make a spe-
cialty of corporation business, ana
after our Theodore has retired to the
Businesses of East Africa to commune
with the Jungle folk the great Ameri-
can nation will take time to realize
that this strenuous year has been
characterized by the most significant
and far-Ieaching social advance that
civilization has made in half century.
The two-cent postage rate between
the United States and Great Britain
and Ireland will make the Bryan ad-
ministration remarkable for the pro-
dig.ous increase in friendly intercom-
munication between the peoples who
have for heritage in common the lam
guage of Tennyson and Longfellow,
Ruskin and Emerson. "Prodlgious" Is
the correct descriptive adjective. for
we believe there will be an increase
in letter writing proportionate to the
increase after the domestic postage
rates were popularized in the various
nations affected by the new agreement.
This one step forward, in response
to the demands of civilization the Re-
publican administration was forced TO
make by the action of foreign powers.
People have been deluded into believ-
ing Republicans gave us one of the
best postoffice departments in the
world. The truth is, we have had one
of the worst, not at all by reason of
inefficiency on the part of postoffice
employees but because they have been
handicapped by the laggard slovenli-
ness and backwardness of the Repub-
lican government in the matter of pos
tai reforms, and because in spite of the
vast amount of money handled by the
Republicans this most important
branch of the public utilities service
has been under-fi financed.
in the United Kingdom the parcels
post--one of the greatest conveniences
of modern. up to date civilization-is
an old story. Most of the younger
people in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and
England today cannot remember a
| time when lIlGIG WAS llOl DulO POShs
Even the small Latin countries for If
teen years have enjoyed parcels post
service, and in that respect, at least,
are fifteen years ahead of the United
| States. If from the postoffice service
| of our republic the tremendous rail-
road steal were eliminated the govern
ment might be able to bring our serv-
ice UP to the level of that of other
nations. Each year our "easy" Uncle
pays for the use of postal cars more
than four times the total value of the
cars.
President Bryan and his cabinet will
enter on the performance of no light
task For the sake of postoffice re-
form alone it is we'll worth while to
put a Democratic administration in
power, instead of one that is ham,
pered hopelessly by entangling political
alliances. The two-cent rate is well
come because it will mean vast in
crease of commercial intercourse
among the countries which "all do
business in the same language" a re-
markable trade advantage for all the
countries, as well as for each individ-
uaI country of the worldwide group.
But the Republican government
should not have waited until it dis
cerned in the increased business facil-
tiles of a lower rate between other
countries of like language, habits and
modes of life a menace TO American
commercial supremacy. For half a
century and until recent years Ameri-
ca has been regarded AS the leader of
this great group of countries. In a
two-cent postal rate it should have
been leader, not follower. Since our
government has been compelled to sit
up and take notice of the two-cent
rate, will it now devote some attention
to enother great social reform which
has been adopted in Ireland, Scotland
| and England? These countries have
resolved that no more of the deserv-
ing old people who outlive their wage
earning ability must be bundled off
to the poorhouse. Instead, these in
dustrial veterans will be as well treat
ed as are military veterans, and will
| l.