The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-07-13
Ardmore. Thursday, July 13, 1911
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ONE CENT LETTER POSTAGE.

ONE CENT LETTER POSTAGE.
One cent letter postage will proba'
bly, be inaugurated by the United
States postoffice department as its
next important reform.
This prediction made by prominent
business men who have banded to-
gether to demand a new and fairer
rate than that now existing, is based
upon developments in the postal Ge-
partment during the past two or three
months.
Early in May Postmaster General
Hitchcock announced that the annual
deficit which was as high as $1,000,
900 last year, had been wiped out and
that the department this year would
show a surplus of at least $l,000,OOO.
Accompanying the announcement
came the information that Mr.. Hitch
cocks determined efforts to run the
department in business like manner
and the cutting out OF unnecessary eX-
penses had been rewarded by the wip-
ing out of the balance from the wrong
side of the sheet.
Coincident with the announcement
that there would be no deficit this
year, facts were given out by the de.
partment which tend to show that an
even greater saving will be affected
during the coming year For the past
ten weeks. ending July ! the depart
ment heads have been conducting an
exhaustive series of experiments and
tests at various important postal cen
ters regarding second class mail mat
demonstrated beyond argument that
the government could effect great
saving by shipping the larger part of
its second class matter on freight cars
rather than in mail cars, as has been
the practice heretofore. It Is intend
ed to begin this month duly on semi
monthly and monthly publications il
the eastern states and bring them %
six main distributing points in freiGht
cars. The six points are Cincinnati,
Chicago. Kansas City. St Louis, s.,
Paul and Omaha.
1t is claimed by St Louis postoffice
officials that it costs nine cents a
pound to carry mail matter from New
York TO st. Louis by the present meth
ods. Under the new system IT is eN-
pected to reduce this to one-half cent
a pound with only one or two days
delay. At St Louis alone, according
to L. r. Billings, the clerk in charge
Of the railway mail service, the saw
inc TO be affected will exceed $500
OOO.
Near the end of May. Charles VIM.
Burrows, president and George r. Nc
Intosh, secretary OF the National One
Cent Letter Postage association which
has its headquarters in Cleveland held
"a conference with President Taft ana
later with Postmaster General Hitch
cock at Washington and were given
cordial assurances Of support. Mr.
Hitchcock declared that no single
change appealed to him rs or more
importance than the lowering OF the
present rate on letter postage. Mr.
Hitchcock assured Mr. Burrows and
Mr.. Mcintosh Of his earnest approval
of the campaign they were engaged
in
Washington, during ,hc winter ses-
sion Of congress will, in all probabil-
ity, be the battle ground on which
will be fought out a campaign for one
cent postage. i is expected that much
light on the general situation in :he
fostoffice department will be furnish
Cd by the postal commission appont-.
ed 10 investigate rates and methods
now prevailing.
Officers of the National One Cent
Letter Postage association claim. and
are ready to prove. that first class
mail matter is producing n profit for
the government OF s60.OOOOOO 4 year. /
With the wiping out Of a portion OF
the loss incident to the carrying Of /
second class matter by the new plan