The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-05-10
NOVEL METHODS
TO SECURE ONE
CENT POSTAGE
Interesting Facts In Reference To The
Money Paid BY This Country -.
For Letter Postage. -.

novel methods OF prosecuting cam /
paign for the passage of a COMPRESSION C
al measure are to be followed by Of b
ficers of the National One Cent {
Postage association at next falls SEES v
sion of congress when bill providing /
for the lowering of the rate on first t
class postage matter, including all 7
letters, from two cents to one cent, q.
will be introduced.
Instead of maintaining an expensive
lobby at Washington, to gum shoe
among the Legislators and to seek by
corrupt means or otherwise to secure
the reform which is sought, the Off
GERS of the association expect to bring
sufficient pressure to bear from home
interests" to induce a majority OF
congressman and senators to approve
the bill.
The association now consists of hun
dreds of members, located in nearly
every state in the Union. For the
most part they are prominent heads Of
big manufacturing and mercantile con-
Germs who realize that they are en-
titled to a one cent rate on ordinary
letters.
Senators And Representatives.
From the associations headquarters |
in Cleveland these influential business |
men will be asked to swing their rep
resentatives and senators into line for
the passage of a one cent rate bill.
Letters and kilograms will pour into
Washington by the hundreds from
men whom the legislators cannot af-
ford to ignore. Delegations will back
them up. In this thoroughly business
) like manner the officers of the asso-
= citation expect to conduct their cam
paign.
To enable them to bring the neces-
sary pressure to bear when needed
! the officers of the association are now
: busily engaged in building up the
! membership. Business men par
, ticularly are being interested in the
Il saving they will realize, when one
y cent letter rate is inaugurated. Some
firms in the large cities of the country
L pay as high as $4,000 and $4,000 a
- year for frst-class postage. With a
one-cent rate this expense would be
Il cut exactly in half. There is not a
\ concern in the country which would
H not receive direct benefit from such a
reform.
Postoffice Profits.
Last year the postoffice department
realized a profit of about $60,000,00(
from the carrying of f1rst-class mai
matter, most Of which consisted o
letters. At the existing rate business
houses are paying $3.50 a ton to tn
government for carrying letters.
On an average of forty-two letter
are carried to the pound, which make
the rate about "a cents. This 70
short hauls, and city delivery as we
as for long distance service. A
ii enormous amount of first-class ma
matter never leaves the city where
. originates and the profit is particula
ly large on this class.
Expensive Postage.
The first batch of letters carried I
h Circle City, Alaska, cost the COVER
N ment $3.50 apiece though carried
~ the two-cent stamp. But there al
III only few letters of this sort carrie
and conditions throughout the Unite
are 100000 people in the country
III the new census. Vast cities exist
III scores and scores where importa
HI business concerns are spending m
AZ lions per annum to make their war
known to the world. The people a
entitled to postal service at cost, al
~ the government can carry letters at
III one-cent rate and still clear expens,
III 1t seems right and just, therefore, tn
such rate should be established.
III Exorbitant Rates.
"The outrageously exorbitant rat
III which business men are being co
letters" declared Geo. T. McInto
III secretary of the association, SIS in
III Gated by the fact that the profits
first-class, mail are now in excess
M $50, 100000 per year. During the
~ years from 1901 to 1910 inclusive fiji
kU class mail produced a total rever
EE of $1.125, 100000 with total weight
IL about 1,3OO,OOOOOO pounds. In rot
figures the government in that per
made a profit of about $500,000,C
III This sum would have wiped out
III of the national debt of the Uni
III States which is only $1046, 449, 1855.
it any wonder that the business 4