The Republican journal., 1912-01-18
PENNY POSTAGE THE FARMERS FOE.

A scheme has been devised, obvious
on its face, to create public sentiment for
one-cent postage. and over this, through
raising the rate for second-class matter,
to strike at all newspapers and periodi-
Gals. To offset the protests against in
creasing the second class rate which has
prevailed for over a quarter of CEN
fury, the One-cent Letter Postage As
ISOLATION, abundantly financed, is making
a systematic effort to line up Senators
and Representatives at Washington in a
demand for one cent-rate bill.
Penny postage would mean deficit to
the Post-office Department of $60,0O0,-
900, and an essential feature of the agita-
ton is to saddle this deficit upon second
class matter. Would this be just? CHOW,
If all classes, all concerns and all locali-
ties used the various classes of mail in
the same proportion" said Stuart H.
Perry, of the Adrian Daily Telegram,
before the National Editorial Associa-
ton, at Detroit, 'there would be no ar
gument; but the reverse is true. The
farmer is the great patron of the second
class mail. the big business interests of
first-class mails"
1t is the city that uses red stamps
not all its inhabitants either, but the
great offices that center in the city. A
single large mail-order house or one of
our great insurance companies will prob
ably use more tWo-cent stamps in year
than several rural counties. Govern
ment reports show that about sixty three
per cent. of all letters are mailed from
first-class post-offices, while the twelve
largest cities alone mail thirty-four per
cent. In contrast with this we have only
4.8 per cent mailed by rural routes in
1909. But if the farmers share of first
class is small, his proportion of second
class mail received is extremely large.
With but twenty-five per cent. of the
population, the farmers on rural routes
receive nearly thirty-three per cent.
of all the newspapers and periodicals
sent trough the mails. Penny postage
would mean the foisting of large part
of the $50, 1000, 900 deficit upon the village
and country population. This would be
injustice of the worst sort, and yet, by
maintaining the present two-cent rate,
injustice is done to no one. The large pur-
chasers of two-cent stamps in the cities
cannot complain, for they are thus able
to solicit business over an unlimited ter
ritory at the tri1ing cost Of stamp.
That it is the purpose to charge the de-
ficit which would result from one-cent
postage up to the newspapers and per-
iodicals, there can be no doubt. Harri-
son B. Burroughs says very frankly that
the fight of the One-cent Lette Postage
Association is directed against "thou-
sands Of insignificant periodicals.. This
means, as we have shown, fight against
the best interests of the farmers and all
rural residents who. constituting one
fifth Of the population, use one third of
second-class mail matter. How to make
the country attractive, how to keep
population on the farm has been prob
lem for country life commissions, socio-
logists and statesmen. Good roads, au-
tomobiles, telephones and rural delivery
have all helped to check the tide running
to the CITY,. To introduce penny postage
and foist the postal deficit on second
class matter would be the biggest blow
country life could possibly receive, in
that it would deprive the farmer of his
papers and magazines. ''For every dol
lar the farmer saved by this plan,' says
Mr.: Perry, che would pay six dollars in
higher subscription rates.
Farmers have the reputation of not
awaking to their interests until too late
to do anything. Will they remain mac
tive now, while their rights are being
taken from them?"-Leslies'.