Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-06-01
Tells HOW SOCIAL
OWNERSHIP WORKS

of millions of dollars annually into
the Golfers of its owners. Why don't
Rockefeller and Morgan try to get
monopoly on the postoffice business?
The answer is, because it is socially
owned and operated for use and not
for profit" The price of stamps, of
money orders and of registered let
ters is fixed by law. A Rockefeller
and Morgan would be compelled to go
to the government to purchase their
stamps and money orders at profit
or they could not do business, You
could not find a person in all the
United States so simple minded as to
pay Rockefeller and Morgan five
cents for stamp that could be pur-
chased for two cents at our postof-
flee. Thus you see that socially
owned and operated industries can
not be monopolized even by untold
wealth.
But our opponents say that our
postoffice system is losing PROPOSE
ton. That the expenses exceed the
receipts by millions of dollars an
nually. Let us admit that to be a
fact. What causes this loss? The
postofice department pays the rail-
road companies 16 times as much for
carving a given weight of mail as
the express companies pay the same
railroad company for carrying the
same weight of their packages IN the
same car In other words, our con-
gress and administration authority
extract from the people at least 10
times as much for carrying the mails
as the railroad company should re-
ceiye. That is simply one reason
why the receipts Of the postonce
system are less than the expendi-
tnres If there were not so many
congressman and senators and caDl.
NET officers who hold the railroad
and corporation interests generally
hevond and above the interests OF tht
public, these rates would be reduceS
and the postoffice receipts would eX'
ceed the expeditures. o
The people of the United states TO- To-
dav demand parcels post law D!
which the postofice would carr!
large packages at reduced rates. Ih'
limited States government has all I'M
machinery for handling packase,
through the postofiice system IL ma
costly postoffices built in all the cue.
of the United States. 1t has p4stol u-
fees established everywhere IL na
postal cars, mail carriers, rural MAJ M
CARRIERS and all facilities that ar
needed for carrying larger package
through the mails. The questlol
arises, "Why should we not use ines e'
facilities for the benefit of al I'll I'll
neonle in transporting package
through the mails instead OF pasln ~
such an outrageous rate 10 Ihe %
nress companies?" The average lou
! IF the rural mail carrier, II
oioimed does not exceed 20 pounu'
IIe could deliver 500 pounds or
! tbousand pounds just as convenient
I ond d the farmers could be greatly pei
J eGted thereby and save many mlllion
! of dollars which are now extorle e5
I from them through the express con con
! nonies It is claimed by good authol
! it,, that the postoffice departinedi
Z oorId add forty million dollars (S4o
! 000 OO0l per year to its recelpts
I tbe rural delivery wagons were pe,
7 mitted to carry postal packages an AL
! f. is estimated that more than lor' !.
I millions could be added TO- to tae n q =, !,
I naints of our postoffice departmei
I thrn,,eh the receipt and deliVeIy
I uostai nackages in the cities. nen' @
a 4 "a not the fault OF the soei"i O"'