The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-12-31
ONE CENT POSTAGE.

men OF the Unlleu SldleS VIII oeon "
crystalize into law the rapidly increas
ing sentiment for lower postage rate
Congress is to be asked at its pres
ent session to take steps looking to-
wards the inauguration of a one cent
letter rate. The campaign will be con
Quoted by the National One Cent Let
ter Postage Association, which has its
Headquarters in Cleveland. This as
sociation has been steadily growing in
strength for several years and now
maintains a membership scattered
throughout the United States, with
representative in nearly every village
town and city in all the states of the
union.
1t is believed by officers of the asso-
citation that the general business re-
vival now under way, the demand for
one cent letter postage will become so
insistent that congress can not do 9th
erwise than inaugurate this reform.
An astonishing condition exists at
Washington in connection with the op-
GRAFTON of the Post Office Department,
according to George T. Mcintosh, Sec
retary-treasurer of the National One
Cent Letter Postage Association. MIR.
Mcintosh has been active head of this
organization since it's inception sever
al years ago and, together with
Charles w. Burrows, the associations
president, has been making a close
study of postal conditions as they ex-
list in this country.
Business men Of the United States
are not aware that first class mail
matter is paying the government over
40 million dollars per year, of which
more than $7O,OOO,OOO is clear profit"
declares Mr.. Mcintosh. with this
immense income and profit, the gov
eminent at the same time is sustain
ing loss on second class mail Of
more than $7O,OOO,OOO year. Stats
ticans Of the Post Office Department
have stated that it costs over cents
per pound to distribute second class
mail while the charge made by the
department is only one cent per
pound. While first class mail reaps
the Post Office Department a clear
profit of over $7O,OOO,OOO per year, Sec
ond class mail at the same time en-
tails loss of about the same sum,
with result that an immense surplus
is automatically wiped out each year."
This $70,000,O00 is the toll the
American businessman is paying I'M
der the present conditions and is the
thing which we are seeking to reform.
There is no reason why business insti-
buttons of this country should be pay
ing nearly twice the cost of carriage
of their mail while other interests,
chiefly the big periodical publishers of
the eastern cities are swamping the
entire country with huge volumes of
mail matter for which they are paying
one-eighth the cost of handling.
Efficiency in operation is a thing
which is practically an impossibility
on the part of post office officials at
the present time, because of this con
ditiOn which exists and has existed fol-
many years. 1t has long been felt by
those in charge of the department al
Washington that reform of this char
acter is absolutely necessary, and they
have given assurance on many occas
ions that just as soon as congress sees
fit to act on this subject, American
business men will be granted a one
cent letter rate"
mo fair minded person can fee
other than that the periodical publish
ers of this country are being granted
a huge subsidy every year as long a:
the present condition of affairs ex
lists"
First class, letter mail, it has beer
computed, pays a revenue to the gov
eminent of little over 80 cents pe
pound or over $1,000 per ton, practi
cally twice the cost of handling it
Second class mail on the other hand
pays one cent pound, or $40 a ton
which is about one-eighth the cost O
handling. Is this good business
Both our association and representa-
tive post office officials at WASHINGTON
do not believe it is. Nothing can b,
done, however, until congress take!
action, and it is for this reason tina
we are demanding that the matter bt
considered at the present session O.
congress.
"Only through cooperation on thu
part Of the business interests of thi:
country, who are paying tax to the
government every time they use {
two cent stamp can we hope to sue
ceed."
Bills for one cent letter postage
have been introduced by Senator Bur