The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-08-20

Discontinue Supplying Request En-
velopes. There Is no question but
that the topic has two sides, and a
person may be decidedly prejudiced In
viewing the question at issue. One
must. however. have charity for the
views of others
/ do not know how dangerous ground
| am treading on In my attempt to dis
cuss the topic. IL reminds me some
what of the situation a year or two
ago when an official OF the postoffice
department wrote congratulating the
Fargo Office upon the excellent show
ing made as to the increase of proper
ly distributed second class mail by
publishers. but this official stated he
noticed that the worst sinner in the lot
was the publisher of The Fargo Week
ly Forum, and he hoped that the post
master would bring some influence to
bear on him, Mr. Mcbride was not
aware that the publisher and the post
master was the same individual The
postmaster could not convince the
publisher that IL was incumbent on
him to go to the expense necessary TO
make this separation, although both
presented their arguments in the
strongest manner possible .n
From Postmastsr's Standpoint.
/ do not intend to treat this subject
from the standpoint of the publisher.
as for many years / have not operated
job plant. and therefore have no per-
sonal interest In the printing OF envel-
opes, except as a postmaster and a
citizen.
The system seems to have grown up
WI til
providing for 1t, except that for many
years the national legislature has
placed items in the general postoffice
| appropriation bill to care for the ex-
penses attendant upon this branch of
the postal business. Stamped envel-
opes and newspaper wrappers were
not manufactured primarily by the
government in order to promote the
sale of stamps. but to save uncalled
for letters from being sent to the dead
letter office and to prevent the trouble
incident to the loss of stamps, the
same not being properly attacked to
/ packages and letters and this class of
mail is much easier to handle than
where the stamps are affixed by mucil-
age or other paste. The department
mas gone into the business of furnish
Ing envelopes with the return card
thereon more to promote the buying of
this stamped paper than with any in
tention of interfering with private
business. Since the eradication of the
advertising feature from. the return
card the stamped envelope with the
plain card has become a trademark
with many people any they seem to
believe that 1t is the mark of Rentility
to use this style of envelope.
In the last few years with such men
as POSTMASTER General Hitchcock and
Hon. A. l.. Lawshee, the third assist
ant, In Office, it is not to be wondered
that the sale of this class of STAMPED
paper has greatly increased, as they
nave been pushing every departent
or postoffice work and used modern
business methods in acquaintinR the
public with the advantage of the differ.
ent divisions of the postoffice depart
ent, which has, not only included the
sale Of stamped paper, but the money
order and registry business and the
special delivery.
Live Issue With Printers.
In consequence Of this activity the
envelope situation has become a decid
edly live issue with all job printers
and especially with those in country
towns.
Taking out the value of the stanns
the government furnishes 1000 en-
velopes, of No. S, with the return card
printed thereon cost $1.24; the country
printer had to pay the wholesale deal
ers $1.15 for this same stock and had
to add thereto the cost of his freight
and interest upon his investment. He
cannot afford to set up a corner card
and run his Gordon press for 1000
impressions for less than $1.25. and
in most cases it will cost him $3.50.
but even at the former figure his cost
price on the 1000 envelopes, not pur-
chased from the government, win be
$3.50 as against the customer buying
them direct from the government at
$l24-al printed. The government
makes no distinction in cost whether
the corner card is on the envelope or
not. If it did and charged a reasonable
price extra for this printing, the Job
printer could buy his stock from the
government and compete with Uncle
Sam by printing the corner card him
self and thus give additional home en-
ployent.
/
ment realizes the extent which the sale
OF return card envelopes has been push.
ed, to the injury of business that has
been hampered in many ways during
the past few years and one which has
had hard work to show fair profit,
Notwithstanding the taste, skill and
hard work and the large amount OF
money invested therein.
| Nor do believe the sale of stamps
and stamped paper would be inter-
fered with should the practice or
4 printing the return card on envelopes
be discontinued. Intelligent co-opera-
tion between the postmasters and
job printers would bring about the
condition making the letter mall Just
as convenient to handle and save dead
letter returns IL the government should
abandon the habit OF printing the
return card and justice would be done
In removing competition which
neither the private Individual nor the
corporation can meet, owing to the
facilities possessed by the department,
+ consequence OF the envelope
agency. .i.aaAaA /,
lot For the Poor Man.
4ae return card is not for the poor
man or the small merchant. 1T is the
oanks anu large corporations which
avail themselves of this privilege to the
greatest extent. Every postofFice has
ten orders for 5000 lots. one for 500,
and many times the 10000 and 10000
lots are more numerous than the min.