Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1914-12-26

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De "ased this winter wherein bus
ness men OF the United States W
seek to crystalze into law the "a,
ldly increasing sentiment for a low
er postage rate.
F'"@rHes is - u og'-nA - 80 ...
nj :'~:.': ID e.. ..,".. -. :.
'oWar1s the Inauguration q 4 -
cent letter rate. The campaign "
be conducted by the Nationa! o.
'ant Letter Postage Associates:
which has its Headquarters in Cln~
land. This association has be-
steadily growing in strength for 80,
H'a' years nd$h0w maintains q men,
"rShiD scattcr2d throughout IT,.
lalted States. with representative.
II r"a1lv every village, town and cit
n all tie states Of the union.
1t Is believed by officers OF e..
association that with tho genera
business revival now under way. tn
ae1 and for one cent letter pcstac.
VIII become so insistent that congress
cam OF do otherwise than inauguratc
this reform.
An astonishing condition exists at
Washington in connection with the
operation of the postoffice departmet
according to George T. Mcintosh, ser
retary-trepsurer Of the National One
Cent Letter Postage Association. Mr.
Mcintosh has been active head of this
organization since it's inception sew.
cral years ago and, together with
Charles w. Burrows, the associations
president, has been making a close
study of postal conditions as they
exist in this country.
business men Of the United States
are not aware that first class mail
matter is paying the government over
ITO million dollars per year, of which
more than s70,O00,000 is clear profit"
declares MI. Mcintosh. with thir
immense income and profit, the gov.
eminent at the same time is BUS
tanning q loss on second class mail o.
more than s7O,O0O,0O0 a year So
t;sticians Of the postoffice departing"
have stated that it costs Z'vH" r-,.'
ger pound to distribute second claeE
mail while the charge made by the
department is only one cent Pc"
pound. While first class mail roc0~
the postofflce department clear pro-.
it Of over $7O,000,000 per year, sec
ond class mail at the same time en-.
tells a loss Of about tho same su:>1
with a result that an immense S.:
plus is automatically wiped ont eaci
year"
This $7O,O00OOO is the toll the
American business man is paying I'M
der the present conditions and is the
thing which we are seeking to reform.
There is no reason why business in
situations Of this country should be
paying nearly twice the cost Of car
rage Of their mail while other inter
ests, chiefly the big periodical pub
fishers Of the eastern cities arr
swapping the entire country with
huge volumes Of mail matter for
which they are paying only One-eighth
the cost Of handling.
Efficiency in operation is a thing
which is practically an impossibility
or the part of postoffice officials at
the present time, because Of this con-
dition which exists and has existed
for many years. 1t has long been
felt by those in charge Of the depart
ment at Washington that reform OF
this character is absolutely necessary,
and they have given assurance on
many occasions that just as soon as
do oCSo III W oHI VII e'''''
subject, American BUSINESS men WIZ
be granted one cent letter rate
mo fair minded person can feel
other than that the periodical pub
fishers of this country are being grant
ed O hUge subsidy every year as long
as the present condition Of affair
exists"
"f'irst class, letter mail, it has been
ccroputed pays revenue TO the go
eminent Of a little over 80 cents per
pound or over $500 per ton, prac
tically twice the cost Of handling 1t.
Second class mail on the other hand,
pays one cent a pound, or $40 ton,
which is about one-eighth the cost of
handling. Is this good business? Both
our association and representative
postoftce officials at Washington do
not believe it is. Nothing can be
done, however, until congress takes
action, and it is for this reason that
we are demanding that the matter
b cosidered the present session OF
congress.
"Only through cooperation on the
part of the business interests Of this
country, who are paying tax to the
every time they use
two cent stamp can we hope to sue
GOOD ~