The Republican journal., 1912-03-14
One Cent Letter Postage.
What DR.. w. L. West, Secretary of the
Belfast Board of Trade, Says Concerning

Belfast Board of Trade, Says Concerning
it.
Business men of this city are pleased with
the determined campaign which is being made
to secure one cent letter postage. Many of
them have Joined The National One Cent Let
ter Postage Association and are assisting in
the work for a lower rate. Bills have been
introduced in both branches of congress, in the
Senate by Hon. Theodore E. Burton, and in the
House by Hon. John W. Weeks, calling for
one cent letter rate, to be instituted july l
next Very energetic efforts are being made
by the association to secure the passage of
these bills. DR.. W. L. West, Secretary Bel
fast Board of Trade, is taking an active part
in the campaign and is urging local business
men to give their support to the movement.
eve have been entitled to a lower rate on
letter postage for many years." declares DR..
West. "No concerted effort has previously
been made to secure it. The National One
Cent Letter Postage Association has now taken
up the work. and has several thousand members
scattered all over the Union. This Association
has for its sole purpose the cutting down of
the present exorbitant rate on letter postage.
1.-THE bill presented to Congress, recites the
fact that letters of one-half ounce or fraction
thereof. were carried between New York and
Buffalo in 1843, distance under 500 miles for
25c. Similar high rates prevailed elsewhere
The act of March 8, 1885, established the rate
which is still in vogue despite the fact that
the Post Office Department has been making
enormous profits from this class of mail every
year.
sin 1910, 8,310,623,00O pieces of first-cass
mail were carried by the Post Office Depart
ment. The cost of handling and carriage, ac-
cording to Postmaster General Hitchcock, was
$96, ,752, ,51135. The revenue collected was
$154, 796, ,668.08, leaving a clear profit 10 the
government of $5s.OO4, 1856 73. A proportionate
profit has been made for each year of the last
score.
Business men of the United States are be-
ing required to pay this exorbitant profit, fur
nishing the department with large yearly
surplus over the cost of their service 1t was
never intended that letter postage should pay
profit The policy of the department as out
lined by the Postmaster General still continues
to be that costs of service rendered shall be
paid by all classes of users of the mails, and
that only cost shall be collected from any
class.
"a one cent letter rate has been favored by
postal officials for long time. They realize
that no one should be charged excessive profit
on services rendered by the government.
"At the present rate, the department is re-
ceiving on first class mail revenue of about
81 cents per pound, equal to $l,6sO per ton,
making profit of 66 per cent. First class
mail supplies under IA per cent of the total
tonnage of the mails, yet it is required to pay
rs per cent of the total revenue. 1t has been
clearly dem onstrated that one cent letter
rate will amply pay.
'The National One Cent Letter Postage AS
sociation is conducting an active campaign to
secure this lower rate. Many business firms in
this city are already affiliated with this or
ganization and hope that more will join as
oon as they learn about the unreasonable
charges now being made for carriage of let
ters. The association has its headquarters at
Cleveland, Ohio, because the executive Of
ficers live in that city. Mr.. Charles William
Burrows is president of the organization, and
Mr.. George T. Mcintosh in addition to being
secretary and treasurer, is managing the cam.
paign.
Personally l urge every business man te
affiliate himself with this organization. II
means that letter postage rates will be cut r
two as soon as the battle for one cent rate is
won. We have everything in our favor and
there is no reason why we should not secure
one cent rate at an early date"
W. L. WEST,
Sec. Belfast Board of Trade.