Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-02-13
ONE CENT POSTAGE A..
ALMOST CERTAIN
This Will Likely Be Next
Important Postal
Reform

ton. according 20 Senator Theodore
r Burton. Of Ohio VINO is leading
the campaign 20 secure lower let
ter rate
4 new one cent letter postage bill
has been introduced by Senator Bur
ton In the senate and Representative
John W Weeks IN the house, and
active steps are being taken TO pro-
mote It's passage The bill provides
for q one cent rate by July Of this
year
without doubt the time has ar
rived when the people OF the United
states are entitled to one cent let
ter postage" declares Senator Bur
ton. The present two cent rate
has been In existence since 1883,
and no important changes have been
made since that date, despite the
fact that the population OF the coun-
try has increased immensely, and
there has been an astonishing in
crease In the amount OF letter com
munication between our people
The most important reason why
citizens Of the United States are en-
titled to one cent postage Is the fact
'ha although We are charged two
cents each for the carriage OF let
tors. II actually costs only about a
cent apiece for the government TO
handle them This results in the
accumulation OF surplus of over
S62, 100000 each yer on first class
letter mail
The post office department was
never intended 20 be other than self.
supporting The government is en-
titled to sufficient compensation for
the actual cost involved In carrying
first class postage. but any rate
which rolls up so enormous a surplus
is nothing less than a tax upon the
users OF postage stamps throughout
this great country
In 1913. the rate OF postage on
letter weighing one-half ounce or
fraction thereof carried from the
city OF New York 10 buffalo. a dis.
tance OF less than 500 miles, was
twenty-five cents ON October /
1889. the two cent rate became oper.
ativs on letters weighing half an
ounce or a fraction thereof Thi,
gatf ~ slight changes. has exist
ed tpr hirty years
IN the meantime. the correspon
! dcnce OF the country has increased
enormously and transportation facil
tiles have improved in proportion
There is no question but that tn,
/ government can carry letters for less
than one cent. and make a profit
4 For the fiscal year ending Jun,
/ 30. 1879. the total government re
ceipts from first class mail were
about Sl72.50O. 600 of which amount
about $4,000 .0o0 Is estimated t.
have been clear profit 10 the depart
wo' thus demonstrating that N
lower rate, which would vastly slim
ulafe The growth of this class o.
mail With a resultant further iu
oroa-, 1f revenue thercirom. woul,
amply .ompensute the government
particularly as NO reduction IN pos
tage Ou postal cards is contemplated
II have introduced In Congress
bill providing for the inauguration
of one cent letter rate on July |
next This | have done upon the in
slsteut demand OF many thousand
Of people OF all classes Throughout
the entire country An organization
known MS the National One Cent Let
ter Postage Association. with head
quarters in Cleveland. Ohio. ha
been formed to support the move
meut
Tn. immense profits made o.
first class letters are q direct tax o
every person who writes letter
That This view OF the situation 8
reasonable no one can doubt !
no other department of the govern
; mcut does such situation exist
, the re.pog Of an abnormal prof
from % public service which Is SUI
posed Dee merely self-supportinl
Although an letters pay two cent
piece. only a very small PORTO
Weigh tb- full ounce permitte,
The. actually average over forty {
90, pound and hence pay 40 a rat
OF about $3.50 per ton. which Is a
urVHrf .nied charg, for transports
tor these days OF easy commuu
aa.. between cities. states and cor
tu,rfs First class mail suppl,
only rs per cent OF the total Tomas
O. tfa mail. yet It pays az the pre-.
out time - per cent OF the tot
revenue.
Charles william Burrows. pres
J dem and George 7 Mcintosh. SCI
: retary treasurer OF the National or
. Cent letter Postage Association, WI
! hay. made n exhaustive study
pos rates. extending over perio
of .. years. were among the fr
Pee prove tHat fhe present rate is s
and that fhe people
r entitled to a one Cd.
I-r
which ha been "a