The Green Forest tribune., 1913-03-14
ONE GENT LETTER POSTAGE.

One cent letter postage promises to be the next live issue eifecting the post office department at Washington, according to Senator Theodore E. Burton of Ohio, who is leading the campaign to secure lower letter rate.
 A new one cent letter postage bill has been introduced by Senator Burton in the senate and Rep. John W. Weeks in the house, and active steps are being taken to promote it's passage. The bill provides for one cent rate by July of this year.
 "Without doubt the time has arrived when the people of the United States are entitled to one cent postage, ' declares Senator Burton. 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 country has increased immensely, and there has been an astonishing increase in the amount of letter communication between our people.
 '"The most important reason why clti- zens of the United States are entitled to one cent letter postage is the fact that although we are charged two cents each for the carriage of letters, it ac- tualy costs only about cent apiece for the government to handle them. This results in the accumulation of a surplus of over $62, 900, 900 each year on first class letter mail.
 "The post office departmentwa never intended to be other than self-supporting The government is entitled to sufficient compensation for the actual cost invol- we'd 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.
 s'In 1843, the rate of postage on let ter weighing one-half ounce or frac- tion thereof, carried from the city of New York to Buffalo, distance of 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 a fraction thereof. This rate, with slight changes, has eX- isted for thirty years.
 'In the meantime, the correspondence of the country has increased enormously and transportation facilities have im- proved in proportion. There is no ques- tion but that the government can carry letters for less than one cent, and make a profit.
 "For the year ending June 30, 1912, the total government receipts from first class mail were about SIP, 800, 900 of which amount about $70, 900, 900 is esti- mated to have been clear profit to the department, thus demonstrating that the lower rates, which would vastly stimulate the growth of this class of mail, with resultant further increase of revenue therefrom, would amply compensate the government, particular ly as no reduction in postage on postal cards is contemplated.
 q have introduced in congress, bill providing for the inauguration of one cent letter rate on July l, next. This have done upon the insistent demand of many thousands of people of all classes throughout the entire country. An or ganization known as the National One Cent Letter Postage Association, with headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio, has been formed to support the movement.
 ''The immense profits made on first class letters are direct tax on every person who writes letter. That this view of the situation is reasonable no one can doubt In no other department of the government does such situation exist-the reaping of an abnormal pro- fit from public service which is SUD- posed to be merely selfsuppoting. Al though all letters pay two cents apiece, only very small portion weigh the full ounce permitted. They actually average over forty to the pound and hence pay at a rate of about $1680 per ton, which is an unwarranted charge for transpor- tation in these days of easy commun- ication between cities, states and con- tinents. First class mail supplies only IA per cent of the total tonnage of the mail, yet it pays at the present time 75 per of the total revenue
 Charles William Burrow, president; George T. Mcintosh, secretary treasur- CT of the National One Cent Letter Postage Association, who have made an , exhaustive study of postal rates, extend ing over period of many years, were among the first to prove that the pres ent rate is extortionate, and that the people of the country are entitled to { one cent letter rate.
 '.One reason which has been advanced against cheaper letter postage" con- cludes Senator Burton, 'has been that its inauguration would prevent the es tablishment of parcel post system Now that we are enjoying the advant. ages of parcel post in active operation this argument loses it validity. It is my firm belief that one cent letter post age will be the next important posta reform inaugurated by congress"