The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1909-05-08

pretty conservative old gentleman,
seldom ~inclines to socialism aud other
government ownership principles.
hut every once in a while he gets OF
the track. VII n he does It takes
him a long while to see the error of
his way aud reform himself.
Perhaps the best illustration Of this
Is found IN the work of the said Uncle
samuel as a socialist printer, IN IN
dustry which has iourished for many
years aud has constituted one " the
ptavest forms Of injustice to the great
printing industry IN the United states,
which employees millions OF capital and
hundreds Of thousands Of men, aud is
the very keystone Ut the liberty Of
the nation itself.
The inspiration of these remarks Is
= circular received this wee through
the post office, a duplicate Of which
was doubtless received by every post
office patron IN the United states, at
the expense Of the people, and the
enlargement Of the annual deiclt OF
which we hear ~ much, aud which IL
seldom traced to It's right source,
though a plausible effort To do ~ was
made whcn the department swooPed
down upon the weekly aud semi
weekly newspaper aud Land out a set
OF rules which practically takes the
management of his credits out Of the
hands ~ the country publisher. How
ever. since all are treated alike, few
have objected to this phas" Of III"
matter aud all Legitimate publishers
have earnestly cudeayorrd 20 comply
with the rules.
There is u strong room for objection,
however, IN the face of these condi.
,ions against the application Of the
principle Of socialism TO the postal
service. namely. IN the printing lie.
partment. In the circular named We
note quotations OF s2l2' per LOCO FOR
the ordinary business envelope,
stamped aud with the business card
OF legend Of the buyer printed there
ON. Of ,uut," u TINS thousand ru
,clnpes the postage IL go, there -
no reduction on that. Thu, leaves =
balance of - per thousand for the
cost of the envelopes aud printing
Now the envelope market Is very sim
liar "a. the wheat market, and the
grade of envelope used by the govern
meut costs ahou, 6oc per thousand IN
million lots. This leaves ~ cents for
the cost Of printing and Of trnn,por.
tation 10 the customer, a margin that
we're utterly impossible foi any PRINT
81 in the country To- work upon.
The reason Ion TINS !, plain tveu
II he were willing 70 work for 'uet
y margin he could not, for not one
customer in a thousand viii accept
the same grade of enyeloP" from I'll,
printer that he will from the govern
ment. So he has TO buy a grade that
average about 90 cents per thousand
even In cas-. lots jO,uoUJ; II costs
him On AN average - cents to set the
card and 80 cents more 20 run a
through the JTess, making a total hrS'
cost Of sl.65, aud leaves no margin
with which to pay interest aud depre
citation, let alone the matter Of profit
without which 10 business car run
Competition at the same figures would
mean a loss OF 81 cents per thousand
He has 20 pay rent, insurance, o''u
patton tax, power and all the rest of
the expenses Of the industry, aud he
il OUT Of the competitive field from th'
start when It comes 10 envelopes, with
the further irony that the peopl" VIII
use government goods would promptly
turn down the same quality Of good
II he offered II 20 them. The principle
~ lust the same II the government
went into the harness business, Of
took Ia selling groceries or any othei
commodity. for no industry can com
pete with a socialistic governmental
supply. II the principle is sound ~
one thing it is sound IN all Others
and the sooner it IN let down, business
destroyed. competition s~trangled and
individual effort set at naught, th'
fairer IL will he, II IN not right q
pick cut the printer as the solitary
sufferer from the application OF th'
blight of socialism that carried 10 ~
perfection would create a condition
of government and society that Il n
not pleasant TO contemplate. and Tn
slightest extension Of which would
imperil every dollar Of the Million
that are now invested in the varied
industries Of the country, and maxi
beRyars out Of the working people an'
dependents out Of the present self
reliant business man who prospers b.
legitimate competition.
| am aware that this form Of gov
ernmental socialism has been in vogu'
for a long time under several politiea
regim That Toes not make II right
II was just as much a crime agains
the printing industry then as u Is nov
when the original purpose Of suppl,
ing the people with plain stamped er
velopes as a matter Of convenience
was carried far aheld and the govern
ment entered into the plan Of suppl!
ing the printed envelopes, That II Is a
ancient evil makes II no less an ev