The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-05
RETURN POSTAGE
PROBLEM SOLVED
After Twenty Years Of Effort, Bust
ness Men Believe Plan VIII be
Put into Eff
feet.
NUMBER OF SCHEMES
Thousands Of Dollars Can be Saved
BY Mail Order Houses If New
Proposition Can be
Adopted.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5.-After ef-
forts extending over a period OF twen-
ty years business men who have been
trying to get congress to take hand
in the solution OF the return postage
problem believe that with the assist
ance OF Postmaster General Hitch
cock they are about to obtain the re-
lief for which they have been striving.
II congress acts favorably on propo-
sitioD which has just been formally
Endorsed by the postmaster general 1t
will result In saving thousands Of dol
lars for mail order houses. publishers
and other interests which use the
malls as medium for securing busi-
ness. Moreover, 1t viii also result in
materially increasing postal revenues.
For long time it has been the
practice among mail order houses and
publishers to send out letters suggest
ing to the persons addressed that the
firm in question has some sort OF
publication or other merchandise to
sell and an invitation is extended to
the person to apply for a catalogue or
other printed details about the mer-
chandise In question. To insure re-
ply and to awaken interest In the
matter which would perhaps not 9TH
erwise be excited, postal card Is in
closed. Under the present law 1t Is
necessary for firms doing business in
this way to purchase regulation card
from the government, print 1t and pay
the regular postage whether the per-
son to whom it Is issued ever makes
use OF it to send in reply or not.
The plan OF the advocates of return
postage is to put into effect scheme
which will allow them to pay the gov
eminent for only those pieces of mail
WHICH are actually sent back in reply
and thereby effect saving in the
case of some firms OF an amount
which will total in the course Of a
year thousands OF dollars.
This idea has the approval of the
postmaster general and he has sug
gested that the following provision be
inserted In the postoffice appropria
ton bill:
The senders Of mail matters who
desire to pay postage on replies there
to to the number of at least 1000 iden.
tical pieces are hereby granted thai
privilege upon their depositing at the
time of mailing, sufficient sum tc
pay first class postage, the payment
to be made in such a way and under
such regulations as the postmaster
sgeneral may prescribe"
Thus mail order firm would be
able to enclose In It's solicitations fol
business uniform postal cards printed
and manufactured under such regula
tons as the head of the postorfice
might prescribe and pay postage only
on those pieces which actually are
sent through the malls There woulc
be a saving obviously to these bust
ness houses and the government
would stand a chance to increase itl
revenues by reason OF the increased
business that would probably be sub
mitted to 1t as the result Of the de
IiSdscu cApeust " huS 6tBuSIS. n
postoffice would be guaranteed
against loss through the provision
compelling firms desiring to avail
themselves of this privilege to max.
deposit in advance.
To ascertain the charge whicf
would be made in case this schem.
went into effect the postoffice at tn.
point where the postal cards would b
delivered would have to count al
such pieces, but it is explained tina
this would necessitate no more ex
pense or labor than the present can
collation. of stamps requires. If any
one attempted to send such mai
through the postoffice unlawfully /
would be possible not only to hold u
his mail but to prosecute him for