Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-17
BEGIN FIGHT FOR
1-CENT POSTAGE
Belief Is Volume of Business of
Government Would Increase
Enormously.

That the adoption OF 1-cent letter !
postage rate will mean a large in
crease in the amount of letter mail
carried by the government is the be-
lief of prominent business men who
have made a study of American postal /
problems.
It is thought by many experts in
postal matters that the creation of
1-cent letter rate by congress at its
coming session would mean so much
additional business that the extra
revenue would easily care for the ex-
penses of the department under the
lower rate.
One of the strongest believers in
the 1-cent letter propaganda is John
Wanamaker, former postmaster gen
eral. 81 am a firm believer in 1-cent
letter postage" declares Mr.. Wanna
maker, land think the government
would have a larger revenue from 1t
after the first two years than 1t has
at present from 2-cent postage, when
people had time to realize the facili-
ties afforded for communication with
each other"
John Wanamaker is probably one of
the best versed men in America on
postal problems. He was United States
postmaster general beginning the year
1889 under President Benjamin Harri-
son and made deep study of the stu
alton. This statement coming from
man of such mature judgment is
hailed with considerable satisfaction
by the promoters of the campaign for
1-cent letter postage.
That a definite demand for 1-cent
letter postage will be made at the COM
ing session Of congress is now evil
dent. Thousands of business men
throughout the country are joining
the National One-Cent Letter Postage
association which has its headquar-
conducting a campaign for 1-cent let
ter rate. A new bill providing for l.
cent postage win be introduce in con-
gress early in the session and a de-
termined effort is to be made to Sc
cure it's passage. Hundreds of COM
mercial organizations and other bodies
have Endorsed the campaign and are
working with the postage association
in the effort to secure lower rate.
Under present conditions it is
claimed that first class mail is paying
a surplus to the government of nearly
$7O,000,000 a year. Although it re-
quires two cents to mail letter any
where in the United States, it is esti-
mated that 1t actually costs the gov
eminent about one cent to carry it.
At the present time the department re-
ceives on letter mail an average rev.
enue of "a cents per pound, equal to
| 1850 per ton. Although this first
class mail supplies less than one
eighth of the total tonnage of the
mails, yet it pays rs per cent of the
total revenue. This is the chief reason
why the advocates of 1-cent postage
assert the present rate should be cut
! in two.
1t is claimed by the advocates for
1-cent postage, that business men
would have their postage accounts cut
exactly in half were the new rate in
aug III dICNs nj LAC PlCOShI hAlIC OIL
| enormous deficit is caused in second
class mail-the periodical literature
| through the carriage to extreme points
/ throughout the country, of heavy mag
| azine mail Periodicals are carried
| throughout the breadth of the land for
one cent per pound, or $40 a ton as
compared to $3.50 per ton, which
! hYaofnncC afr lnffnrc
Before the United States supreme
court, about December 1, Solicitor
General Bullitt upheld the right of
the government to stipulate the condf
tons under which mail shall be car
ried.
TT is a fact" declared Solicitor
General Bullitt, that every man, wo
man and child who mails a letter is
being unjustly taxed The govern
ment overcharges people who mail let
tiers about s70,000,000 per year."
Many other government officials
claim that there should be a radical
change made in the present rate:
charged on various classes Of mai
matter. The large proportion of sec
ond-class mail matter carried through
out the country is said to be weekly
and monthly magazine matter full o.
advertising pages, on which publish
ers are making vast profits.
The National One-Cent Letter Post
age association is distributing mil
lions of stamps throughout the UniteC
States for use on correspondence o
business houses, urging the lowe
rate. Active steps will be taken thi
winter to press through congress
bill providing for 1-cent postage. TIL
associations offices are located in tn
New England building, Cleveland
Ohio, George T. Mcintosh being secre
tary and treasurer.