The daily sentinel., 1912-03-05
ONE CENT POSTAGE
CERTAIN TO COME,
DECLARES An OFFICIAL


One cent letter postage is inevita-
bic according to officers of the United
States Pest office Department.
James ]. Britt, Third Assistant
Postmaster General, speaking at
Cleveland, on behalf of Postmaster
Genera Hitchcock and the depart
ment, declared definitely and emphat-
ically that just as soon as a read |
justment of postal rates can be
brought about, one cent postage will
be possible.
The government is making an av-
erage profit of siXty-five cents per
year from every man, woman and
child in the United States, according
to General Britt's estimate, through
the postal department on the carry
ing of letters.
The Departments actual prfit is
carefully estimated at S62, 2,0S1,990.-
65.
On the other hand, every man,
woman and CALI, some "a 100000 of
them, is each paying the government
a tax of siXty-eight cents per year for
the LOSS occasioned by the distribu-
tion of other classes of mail under
I existing rates that was being esti-
mated at s66, ,662.7S.
The United States Post Office
touches the door of every person in
this country" declared General Britt,
in his address. THE department not
only carries the pathetic epistle OF
the wee child who writes appealingly
to Santa Claus, but caters directly to
every man and woman in every class
up to the great business houses which
send out millions OF letters each year.
no other trifling expenditure carries
with 1t so much significance as the
purchase and use of postage stamp.
There have been many difficult
problems which we, as officials, nave
/ been brought face to face with, and
which we have attempted to solve.
Those responsible for the administra-
tion of the postal establishment feel
that it should receive sufficient rev.
enue to pay its own way. There is
every reason why it should be man
aged so that it will be self-sustain-
ing.
There are a number of reasons
/ why the government should conduct
the post office mali-Carrying system
OF this great country. Ii can carry
and deliver mail cheaper than pri-
vate corporation. 1t can make de-
livery in shorter length of time. IL
can safeguard and protect the mails.
Since 1885, postal rates have been
woefully out of joint. First-class
mail, consisting chiefly of letters, has
paid enormous profits to the
government. On the other hand 9TH
er classes of mail have been handled
at an equally enormous loss.
''In mailing letter, all are requir-
ed to pay two cents. despite the
/ fact that the government can carry
it for a little more than half that
sum. Users of other classes of mail
pay but a fraction of the cost of
carrying their product Why should
one class of mail users be required to
pay more than others? This has
been the great problem the officers
of the post office department have
| been graphing with. The depart
ment has no animus toward any class
of mail. 1t has no desire to antago-
nize any persons using the mails. 1t
has been inspired by single pur-
pose-to do its duty toward citizens
generally.
You pay more than eigh-
ty cents per pound for carrying
| ltiltlS dDOul the IHlltu oldlts, al
though it costs about half that
sum. To correct this manifest in
justice, we intend to ask congress to
SO adjust other rates as to put them
on cost-paying basis, and then
letter postage may be reduced to one
cent.
Il certainly believe that one cent
letter postage will pay if other
n arn s,Ii tnl nttp f,,Sr bnf |
year 1911, it is estimated that the
government made a profit of $62,-
OBJ ,9990.65 on first-class mail, while
it has deficit or loss of $685.
336, ,662.6S on second-class mail.
''On third-class mail it made an
estimated profit of S1S2,lS429,
while on fourth-class there was sur
plus of s5,601 ,574.
'If congress will readjust rates on
the various classes of mail, we will
have solved the problem of ONE
cent letter postage. 1t is an
inequality which must be rectified
and that speedily. | feel that first
class mail should receive considera-
tion, because one cent is all it
is worth to carry one
ounce letter. Deprive persons
of cheap facilities for conducting cor
| tespondence and you deprive them of
one of the most valuable means for
extending Intellectual culture.
The chief reason, however, why
one cent postage should come
| is business reason, and that
is that we should carry all classes of
mail at cost The officials of the
department are seeking to conduct it
on that basis, and no other"
| Fred Johnson Here