Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-12-18
PENNY POSTAGE
LAW ADVOCATED
Champions of Measure
Active in Support of
Its Passage

That the adoption OF one-cent let
ter postage rate will mean a large
Increase In the amount OF letter mail
carried By the government Is the be-
lief of prominent business men VINO
have made n study OF American pos
stall problems.
II Is thought by many experts In
postal matters that the creation OF
one cent letter rate by congress al
It's coming session would mean so
much additional business that the
extra revenue derived would easily
care for the expenses OF the depart
ment under the lower rate.
One OF the strongest believers IN
the one cent letter propaganda Is
John Wannamaker. former postmas-
ter general and noted merchant
whose mammoth stores In Philadel-
phia and New York are known to
millions OF Americans who have Wis
tied them. Mr. Wannamaker Is OF
the belief that one center letter
postage rate should be inaugurated
at once,
Il am a firm be lever In one cent
letter postage" declares Mr.. Wanna
maker. and think the government
would have a larger revenue from II
after the first two years than II has
At present from two cent postage,
when the people had time TO realize
the facilities afforded for communi-
cation with each other"
John Wannamaker Is probably
one OF the best versed men In Amer
lca on postal problems. He was Uni
red States postmaster general begin
ming the year 1889 under Pres Benz.
Harrison and made n deep study of
he situation This statement com
.ng from a man OF such mature jude
Wout o. hailed with considerable sat
igfact.on by the promoters of the
campaign for one cent letter post
age.
That q definite demand for one
cent letter postage will be made al
ne coming session Of congress 40
now evident Thousands OF bust
ness men throughout the country
are joining the National One Cent
Letter POSTAGE Association which has
JOS headquarters al Cleveland, Ohio,
and which Is conducting a campaign
for ono cent letter rate. 4 new bill
providing FOR one cent postage will
be introduced IN congress early in
the session and q determined effort
Is 10 be- made 10 secure It's passage.
Hundreds OF commercial organlZa-
tons and other bodies have indoors
ed the campaign and are working
with the postage association IN ;hc
effort 10 secure a lower rate
Under present conditions Il IS
claimed that frst-class mail is pay
ing a surplus 20 the government OF
nearly S70.O00,oO0 a year. Although
IL requires two cents 10 mail a letter
anywhere in the United States. IL Is
estimated that II actually costs the
government about one cent TO carry
A. A. the present time the depart.
ment receives on letter mall an av-
erage revenue OF SIC per pound
equal 10 $3.50 per ton Although
this first-class mail supplies less
than one-eighth Of the total tonnage
OF the mails. yet q pays - per cent
OF the total revenue. This is the
chief reason why the advocates Of
one cent postage assert the present
rate should be cut In two
II Is claimed by the advocates for
one cent postage. that business men
would have their postage accounts
cut exactly IN half we're the new
rate inauguraicd 81 the present
time an enormous deficit Is caused
in second-class mail-the periodical
literature through the carriage 20
extreme points throughout the coun-
try, OF heavy magazine mail Peri
odicals are carried throughout The
breadth Of the land for one cent per
pound or $50 a ton as compared 20
$3.50 per ton. which business men
pay on their letters
Before the United States Supreme
Court. about Dec. I Solicitor Gener-
al Bullitt upheld the right OF The
government 20 stipulate tho condl-
lions under which mail shall be- car
riod
n Is a fact" declared Solicitor
General Bullii'. that every man.
woman and child who mails a letter
is being uniustly taxed Tho govern
ment overcharges people who mail
letters about $50. 100000 per year %
Many other government officials
claim that there should be radical
change In the present rates charged
on various classes OF mall matter
The large proportion OF second-class
mail matter carried throughout the
country Is said 10 be weekly and
monthly magazine matter fall OF ad.
yertlsing pages, on which publishers
are making vast profits
The National One Cent Letter Pos
tage Association Is distributing mil.
lions Of stamps throughout the Uni
ted States for use on correspondence
OF business houses. urging the low.
or rate Active steps will be taken
This winter % press through Congress