Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1911-03-04
KICK BY PRINTERS
Would Bar Government from
Stamped Envelope Business.
Flight Is Once More Before Congress
and Lone-Standng Question
May Be Settled at
This Session.

Washington.-The question as to
whether congress shall take the gov
eminent out of the business of deal
ing in stamped envelopes is likely to
be definitely settled at this session.
There has been considerable agitation
over the question. Petitions either
for or against legislation on the sub
ject have been coming in by the thou
sands every day since congress met
There has been established here at
the national capital an organization
known as the national Joint commit
tee, whose function is to persuade
congress, If possible, to enact law
which will make 1t impossible for the
post Office department to contract for
new supply of these envelopes.
This so-called national joint com
mittee represents the American En-
velope Manufacturers association, the
International Association of Photo
Engravers, the National Association
of Stationers and Manufacturers. the
National Editorial association. the
National Paper Trade association, the
Printers League of America and the
United Typothetae of America. This
organization is seeing to it that every
Job printer in the country forwards
petition asking that the government
be no longer permitted to engage in
the stamped envelope business. On
the other side of the controversy are
the big mercantile houses of the coun-
try, and, generally speaking, the pub
lie. OF the thousands of letters and
petitions that are coming in, many
are from individuals who express the
hope that the government will con-
tinue to deal In stamped envelopes
and sell them at the low rate now
prevailing.
Last June, what is known as the
Tou Velle- Nelson bill, which prohibits
the printing of special requests or
stamped envelopes under the auspices
of the post Office department after
June 80, 1911, passed the house of
representatives by vote of 1872 for
and q against This bill is now pend
ing before the senate committee on
post offices and post roads, and it is
In the neighborhood of this commit
tee that the fight is now raging.
The existing contract with the Mer-
camille corporation of Dayton, o., was
entered into in March. 1907, and took
effect July of that year. 1t expires
by limitation June 80, next year. With
the view of inviting competition in
the manufacture OF these envelopes,
the postmaster general asked for bids
that were to be opened September 20
of this year He explained in the
specification that machinery Of par
ticular kind was necessary to the
manufacture of the stamped envel-
opes, and his idea was that by open
/ ing bids so far in advance new con-
Germs would have an opportunity to
! equip their plants in case they, were
successful bidders. The specifications
called for the delivery to the post Of
fee department of 4,600,O00,OO print
ed envelopes during a four-year pc
, riod. The Mercantile corporation of
Dayton was the only bidder.
( Immediately after the bid was
opened, the national joint committee.
representing the organizations that
, are fighting the department on this
question, petitioned the postmaster
general TO defer awarding the con-
tract until March 4, 1911. 1t was point
ed out that the senate ought to have
an opportunity to pass on the Tou
Velle-Nelson bill before the contract
was awarded
The postmaster general has never
said that he would withhold the award
of the contract in accordance with the
petition of the so-called national Joint
committee, but he has not awarded 1t
up to the time this is written While
he will not say what he proposes to
do, the understanding about the post
office department is that he will hold
of until the senate has an opportu
= nifty to express it's view of the con
troversy.