The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1912-11-14

Local business men are greatl,

i t4OCdl DuolklCoS IuCiI ll Si tduI,}
interested in the campaign now
being conducted for one cent let
ter postage. Active steps looking
toward the Inauguration of the
lower postage rate will be taken
by congress this winter according
to the present outlook
Now that the parcels post prob
lem has been disposed of, the next
important step in postal affairs in
this country will be the Inaugural
tion of one cent letter postage, ac-
cordinq to the officers of the Nat
ional One Cent Letter Postage
Association, which Is conducting
a campaign for one cent postage.
Business men here are backing
the movement for the lower rate.
The association already has a big
membership in this state, and is
constantly seeking to enlarge it,
so that when the real battle for
lower postage is waged in congress
next winter, the association will
receive ample backing from the
business men, whom it will most
benefit.
Many important postal reforms
have been inaugurated during the
past year, resulting in the elimina-
ton of a huge deficit and the &C
cumluation of a creditable cash
surplus. In addition to this a plan
has been adopted for a limited par
GELS post, to be put into effect ear
ly next year. Advocates OF one
cent postage declare that in sim
pie justice the government must
esta blish the lower rate at once
Under present conditions first
class mail is paying a surplus mail
to the government OF over S62-
100000 a year.
Although it requires two cents to
mail a letter anywhere in the Uni
ted States, it is estimated that it
actually costs the government
about one cent to carry it. The
post Office department has always
been operated with view to car
rying mail at cost. At the present
time the department receives on
first. class IS per cent. Although
first-class mail supplies less than
one-eighth of the total tonnage of
the mails, yet 1t pays Is per cent
of the total revenue. This is the
principal reason why the advocates
of one cent postage claim the rate
should be cut in two.
IGney wonId nss.1 vsleIr post y .
counts cut exactly in half W re the
new rate inaugurated At the
present time, they claim, an enor-
nous deficit is caused on second
class mail through the carriage to
extreme points throughout the
country of magazine mail. Mag
aziness some of them charging
from $4,0OU to S., 900 a page for
a d vert S ements, are carried
througout the United States for
one cent per pound or $50 ton
compared to $3.50 per ton which
business men pay on letters. The
large proportion of second-class
mail matter carried throughout
the country is SAID to be weekly
and monthly magazine matter on
which publishers are making vast
profits.
You pay more than ninety
cents per pound far carving let
ters about the United States al
though it costs less than half that
sum to transport them," declares
Assistant Postmaster enera
James J, Britt. To correct this
manifest injustice we intend to ask
congress to lower first-class mail
from two cents to one cent and to
so adjust other classes as to put
them on a cost paying basis.
Il certainly believe that one
/ cent letter postage will pay If rates
are adjusted. During the tisca
= year of 1911 the government made
a profit OF $;62, ,031, ,930.65 on first
| class mail, profit OF Sl82, 1874, =
E on third class mail and a surplus
of S6,60l,574 on fourth class NAL
\ while it suffered loss Of $66, ,"36,
), ;,.t;;2. IS on second class mail
l. Hun lredo Of commercial ho lies
chambers of commerce, bcat~a "
trade, and national business ss5u
Citations, as well as thousands o
individual business house,, hav
endorsed the campaign for on
D ! cent postage, A bill providing fo
e : the lower rate will be introduce
70 IN congress this winter. and wi
$, be supported by commercial bodlt
~ ~ and other organizations located a
se 9 over the country. The Americ,:
10 Bankers Association in session
O. Detroit in September unanlmou
ly adopted resolutions faTorln
s. one cent postage, and urging IL
to government to adopt the new IA
at this winters session of congress
II, An usually active campaign
nu I,,s behalf of the propaganda for OIL
re cent letter postage is being co
ducted by the National One Ce
Letter Postage Association, whi'
ey has its headquarters in Clevelan
ter Its officers are Charles VIM. Blu
gy rows. president, and George
ag, Mcintosh, secretary and Treast
,,d n6 er. It's advisory board is ma