The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-01-15
WESTMINSTER, MD.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JAN. Is, 1915
ONE CENT POSTAGE.


one cent letter postage will be the
theme Of determined campaign to
be waged this winter wherein BUSH
ness men Of the United States will
seek to chrystalize into law the
rapidly increasing sentiment for a
lower postage rate.
Congress II to be asked at its pres
ent session to take steps looking to-
wards the Inauguration of one cent
letter rate The campaign will be
conducted by the National One Cent
Letter Postage Association, which
has its headquarters in Cleveland
This association has been growing
steadily III strength for several years
and now maintains membership
scattered throughout the United
States, with representatives In near
~ every village, town and city in al
States i'm the Union.
An astonishing condition exists In
Washington III connection with the
operation Of the Post Office Depart
rent according to George Il. Mcln-
tosh, secretary treasury OF the One
Cent Letter Postage Association
Business men of the United States
are not aware that first-class mail
matter Is paying the government oy-
er one hundred and seventy million
dollars per year, of which more than
$7O,OOO,OO0 Is clear profit" declares
MI. Mcintosh. With this immense
income and profit, the government at
the same time is sustaining a loss
on second-class mail OF more than
$70,OO0,O00 a year. Statisticans Of
the Postoftice have stated that it
costs over s cents per pound To dis
tribute second-class mail while the
charge made by the department is
only one cent per pound. While first
class mail reaps the Postoffice De
partment clear profit Of S7O,0O0,OOO
per year, second-class mail at the
same time entails loss OF about the
same sum, with the result that an
immense surplus is automatically
wiped out each year.
This $7O,OOO,0O0 is the toll the
American business man IS paying
under the present conditions and is
the thing we are seeking to reform.
There IS 40 reason Why business IT,
situations of this country should be
paying nearly twice the cost of car
rage OF their mail while other inter
ests, chiefly the biz periodical pub
fishers of the eastern cities are
swapping the entire country with
huge volumes Of mail matter for
which they are paying only one
eighth the cost of handling.
mo fair minded person can feel
other than that the periodical pub
fishers of this country are being
granted huge subsidy every year as
long as the present condition Of At
fairs exists"
First class letter mail, it has been
computed, pays a revenue to the
government OF little over so cents
per pound or over $1,000 per ton,
practically twice the cost OF hand
ling IT, Second class mail on the
other hand, pays one cent a pound, or
$50 a ton, which is about one-eighth
the cost of handling. Is this good
business?
only through cooperation on the
part of the business interests OF this
country, who are paying tax to the
government every time they use
two cent stamp can we hope to sue
coed"
Bills for ore cent letter postage
have been introduced by Senators
Burton and Penrose and Representa-
tives Ansberry Bartlett, Griest, Nc
Keller, Park and Rouse, and will be
pushed during the present term of
congress.