The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-12-11
See HOPE OF SUCCESS soon
Business Men of the City Receive Les
tiers Urging Support of Movement;
With Assurance That Department
Will Act in the Very Near Future.

A new champion for one cent letter
postage has appeared in the person of
Representative Charles T.. Bartlett of
Georgia, who was instrumental in pre-
senting in congress recently, bill CALI
ing for the lower rate.
Representative Bartlett has been se-
lected by the business interests of the
country, now prosecuting the one cent
letter rate campaign to be their
standard-bearer in the house of repre-
sentatives when the real fight on the
proposed measure takes place at the
session next winter.
Representative Bartlett has been
member of the house of representatives
from Georgia almost continuously since
1882 and during his tenure of Office has
become unusually familiar with condi-
tions surrounding the postofice depart
ment. He has taken up the fight for
one cent letter postage because he be-
lieves that the people of the United
States are entitled to lower rate
"There are many reasons why 1 be-
lieve in one cent letter postage" de-
clared Representative Bartlett In
statement just issued. '|For the fiscal
year ending June both, 1912, the total,
expenses of the posto1ice department
were over SPAS, 5000 The total re-
ceipts from all classes of mail and the
money order systems were $245,740, 900.
Of this, first class mail produced about
$170,00O,000, or over seventy per cent
of that furnished by all revenue pro-
ducing mail-this despite the fact that
it's weight was only about one-eighth
of the total.
EFFirst class mail is carried at the
rate of two cents for letters weighing
one ounce, and one cent for postal
cards, of which there are over one
hundred and sixty to the pound. AS
most letters are light, and average
about forty to the pound, with few
post cards. It may be seen that letter
mail pays over eighty-four cents per
pound, which is 1850 per ton.
Naturally this rate is immensely profit
able to the government. Last year -
paid net profit of about $70,O00,000.
During the year ending june 30th, 1912,
the department received over $18,7506
900 for postal cards, the weight Of
which was about eleven million pounds,
cit has been demonstrated by post
Office authorities that letters can be
carried for one cent, and any rate over
one cent represents clear profit to the
government. AS a matter of fact, it is
probable that one cent letter mail
rate will pay handsome profit when
it comes into existence.
Gin zen years time first class NAH
has produced net profits of over
$600,000,000. Every person who has
been writing letters has been paying a
tax for the privilege. It is a funda-
mental principal in the conduct of the
postoffce department that it be ope1at-
ed at cost, and that the public be re-
quired pay only such sum as will
properly maintain it. This principle
has been violated in the conduct of the
postohice department in recent years,
and it is to bring about this reform
that the campaign for one cent letter
postage is now under way.
eThe present campaign is being con.
Quoted by the National One Cent Let.
ter Postage Association with head.
quarters at Cleveland, Ohio. This as
ISOLATION has members in every state
in the union, and is backed by many
thousands of business men and others
who are interested in seeing a just and
equitable rate established on first class
mail. The sole object is TO secure an
improvement of conditions, under which
first class mail is carried, and there
promises to be such an improvement at
a very early date, for it is scarcely
possible that such an insistent demand
can be ignored much longer"