Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1913-02-12
|0NE-CENT LETTER
 POSTAGE DESIRED Representative Weeks In troduces Bill That Will
 Revolutionize Affairs. BENEFIT TO THE POOR Immense Profit Made on Letters is
 Dir4et Tax on Every Per
 son Who Writes Letter.


 be the next live issue effecting the postoffice department at Washington, according to Senator Theodore E. 1 Burton, of Ohio, who is leading the campaign to sedlr lower letter rate.
 A new one-cent letter postage bill has been introduced by Senator Bur- ton in the senate and Representa- tive John w. Weeks in the house, and active steps are being taken to pro mote it's passage. The bill provides for one-cent rate by July 1 of this year.
 "Without doubt the time has arrived when the people of the United States are entitled to One-cent letter post age,' declares Senator Burton. The present two cent rate has been in existence since 1883, and no import ant changes have been made since that date, despite the fact that the population of the country has lncreas- ed immensely, and there has been an astonishing increase in the amount of letter communication between our people.
 "The most important reason why eEtizens of the United States are en- titled to one-cent letter postage is the fact that although we are charged two cents each for the carriage o1 letters, it actually costs only about cent apiece for the government tc handle them This results in the ac- cumulation of a surplus of over $62,- 900 .OOO each year on first class letter mail.
 "The postoffice department was never intended to be other than self- supporting. The government IS en titled to sufficient compensation TOT the actual q ost involved in carrying first-class postage, but any rate
 which rolls up so enormous sur plus, is nothing less than tax upon the users of postage stamps through oat this great country.
 "In 1903, the rate of postage on a letter weighing one-half ounce or
 fraction thereof, carried from the city
 of New York to Buffalo, distance O.
 less than 800 miles, was twenty-five
 cents. On October 1, 1883, the two cent rate became operative on letters
 weighing half an ounce or 1rac- tion thereof. This rate with sl'gh'
 changes. has existed for thirty years "In the meantime, the correspond ence of the dountry has increased
 enormously and transportation facll ties have improved in proportion
 There is no question but that the
 government can carry letters TOT less than one cent, and make profit
 For the fiscal year ending June
 30. 1912, the total government receiptS from first-class mail were about $Ilz'' 800 900 of which amount about S'o'
 900 GOO is estimated to nave peel
 clear profit to the department, thus demonstrating that the lower rate
 which would vastly stimulate thf growth of this class of mail With
 resultant further increase Of revenue
 therefrom, would amply compensate inc government, particularly as no re- r d,ction in hostage on postal cards l' contemplated. "I have introdue ed in congress, bill providing for the inauguFaloh o } one-cent letter rate on July l, heA' This I have done upon the lnslsten demand of many thousands ol peopl' of all classes throughout the couh try. An organization known as .h' National One-Cent Letter Postage AS sociation, with headquarters at CleNe land Ohio, has bene formed to sup port the movement.
 7 'The immense profits made oi first-c]ass letters are direct tax ol avery person who writes letter. ma
 tbis view of the situation IS reason ahIe no one can doubt In no othel department of the government coe' such a situation exist-the reaplng
 an abnormal profit from a pubic ser
 vice which is supposed to be merel.
 self-supporting Although all letters
 nav two cents apiece, only yer.
 small portion weigh the full ounc nermitted. They actually average oV
 CT forty to the pound and hence pa at a rate of about $l,6SO per 'oil which is an unwarranted charge 10
 transportation in these days Of eas, Cbmmunication between clues, st"le and continents. First-class mall sup niles only IA per cent of the total ton mage of the mail, yet it pays at tn nresent time 75 per cent Of the tota revenue .; "Charles William Burrows, presi dant and George T. Mcintosh, secre ta,v,treasurer of the National On
 Cent Letter Postage Association, wh have made an exhaustive study or pos tai rates, extending over a perloa Q many years, were among the first U , Droye that the present rate Is eA.oi tionate, and that the people ol ,h country are entitled to one-cent let ter rate. , a One reason which has been aa yanced against cheaper letter post ace" concludes Senator Burton, ma heen that it's inauguration would pre-
 vent the establishment of parce
 nost system. Now that we are en
 iovino the advantages of parcel pos ' in active operation thls arsun'en en , loses it's validity. It IS my liln ., Du Naf ~ that one-cent letter postage vii