Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-01-03
BELIEVE one
CENT POSTAGE
IS inevitable
POSTAL OFFICIALS FAVOR IT
NAV Be Possible to Make III
SeIf-Sustaining

u..n,n, ,+on y G January 2. Lone
-. ,o++ar hostage IS inevitable, ac-
.,n 70 of7cars Of the United States
postoffice department.
James ]. Britt, third assistant POST
.o. oonerol sneaking at Cleveland
on behalf of Postmaster General
hitchcock and the department, d9claf-
ed definitely and emphaticaly that
lust as soon as re-adJustIneht ol
nostal 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 Gen
eral Britt's estimate, through the pos
tai department on the carrying of let
tiers. The departments actual profit
On the other hand, every man, woman
and child, some 94,000,000 of them,
is each paying the government a tax
Of sixty-eight cents per year for the
loss occasioned by the distribution OF
other classes of mail underl existing
rates that was being estimatet $685.
336,6627S
The United States los office
touches the door of every pdrson in
this country" declared Geneta Britt
in his address. The departf fents not
only carries the pathetic episte of the
wee child who writes appealingly toI
Santa Claus, but caters dirdcJly to
every man and woman in evdry class
up to the great business hou3e which
sends out millions of letters ell Cd year.
No other trifing expenditure carries
with it so much significance as the
} purchase and use of postags stamp
There have been many difficult pro-
blems which we, as officials, hive been
brought face to face with, alL which
We have attempted to solve Those
responsible for the administatic-l
the postal establishment feel Ath
should receive sufficient reven
pay its own way There is eVeTs
son why it should be manageA sc 'iAt
it will be self-sustaining.
There are a number of reasons h.
the government should conddct -
postoffice and mail carrying sBtt ! e
this great country. 1t can cafry
deliver mail cheaper than priv;
corporation. 1t can make del~er n /
shorter length of time. 1t 81 s.. O.
guard and protect the mails.t S t |
1885, postal rates have been weef !'y
out of joint. First class Y.sfs =
Sisting chiefly of letters, mas pad
nous profits to the government All
the other hand, other classes of NJ Il
have been handled at an equal y anJ
nous loss.
In mailing a letter, all arslre,u
ed TO pay two cents, despite be ta1t
that the government can, carry II II
little more than half that elm. Vs.
'ers of other classes Of mail rsy but a
traction of the cost of carry lg their
product Why should one lass of 4
mail users be required to Iay ore
than others? This has been he .eat
problem the officers of the posto fice
department have been grapplng it'll
The department has no animUs toy ard
any class of mail 1t has no desiI toI
antagonize any persons using the|
mails. 1t has been inspired by ;in-I
gle purpose-to do its duty tow rdsI
citizens generally.
& You pay more than eigh ntsl
per pound for carrying lette IS al out
the United States, although it costs
about half that sum. To Co rect This
manifest injustice, we inteB, to ask
congress to so adjust other rates as
10 put them on a cost-pay M basis,
and then letter postags may be reduc-
ed to one cent.
Il certainly believe that lone cent
letter postage will pay if 0 4r rates
are adjusted. During the ;al year
1911, ii is estimated that i govern
ment made a profit Of ..6. o3l 800. .65
on fTst class mail, while II as de-
nclvor loss of sc 1895 ,662 on Sec
ond class mail On third-mI it ma !
an estimated profit of ilS2.184.g 81
while on fourth class there as a 4, L
plus of $5,6O1.574.
IF congress will re-adjuI rates u,
the various classes of ma we ! ii
nave solved the problem oil one snt
letter postage 1t is an nequs III !
winch must be rectifed land Nhat
speedily. / feel that FIRST Illass ma \
snouid receive consideratidl l. becaus
one cent is all it is worth q caA ~
ohe-ounce letter. Deprive ,arso :
cheap facilities for co duct a. corn /
pondence and you dep We them Of !,