Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-06-03
ONE CENT POSTAGE
General Reports Revenue
Of $1,000, 900 In Excess of De-
partnent Expenses.

@NPNif@S~s
Washington, d. c., May 29.--From
deficit Of SIT 100000 to a surplus Of
81, 001, 900 in the administration Of the
postal affairs OF the country is the lat
est announcement of Postmaster Gen
eral Hitchcock, who has declared
penny postage" to be the goal he is
aiming for as the great achievement
Of his administration.
Last year marked decrease in the
postal deficit was announced by the
Postmaster General, coupled with the
prediction that as a result Of the re-
trenchments and reforms introduced
in the service the deficit would be en-
tirely wiped out and the way made
clear for penny postage" at the close
Of this fiscal year.
Now for the first time in the history
Of the service, It is said, the deficit in
the Post ONCE Department has been
entirely wiped out and 100000 sur
plus for the current fiscal year, ending
June 30 next, is in the treasury TO the
departments credit
Postmaster General Hitchcock Sat
urday night signed a warrant return
ng to the Secretary of the Treasury
10000 the last of the amount set
apart from the public funds to assist
in defraying the expenses of the pos
tai service for the present fiscal year
Reforms in the financial system, It
Is stated. have made the refund posi-
hle. An accounting plan, which was
adopted about year ago, insures the
prompt deposit in the Treasury of pos
tai fupds not required Immediately for
disbursement at post Offices, thus max
ing available for use by the Post Of
flee Department several millions Of
dollars that under the former practice
would be tied up in post Offices. Un-
der the old system it required approx
imately $10,000,OOO to finance the pos
tai service.
In making the refund to the Treas
ury, Mr.. Hitchcock said he was salts
fed that the postal revenues would be
more than sufficient to defray the pos
tai expenses during the remainder Of
the fiscal year, and that July / would
show surplus considerably over 81
100000.
Forerunner Of Cheaper Postage.
This clearly paves the way, it is
claimed, to what is known as penny
postage" although il fact the term Is
misnomer, for Americans already
enjoy penny postage" as known to
the people of Great Britain; that is to
say, a unit rate Of cents an ounce on
letters and first-class or sealed mail
matter, the English penny being the
equivalent Of 2 cents of American
money.
But the penny postage" Postmaster
General Hitchcock is aiming to secure
II is said, is rate of cent an ounce
on such matter, actually half the rate
of the English penny postage"
1t will require an act OF Congress to
Bring this rate into effect, for Con-
eress reserves to itself the right to
fix the revenues of the country,
whether derived from postal or other
sources.
Postmaster General Hitchcock has
not yet said he would ask Congress to
enact the cent rate OF postage on let
ters into law. But in most of his pub
lie statements and reports, in connec-
ton with the effort to make the postal
service selfsustaining, he has clearly
indicated his purpose to do so when
ever it becomes practicable. A cent
postage on ordinary letters, therefore,
seems to be within the reach Of the
people.