Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-12-01
REIMBURSEMENT OF U. S. pos
TAI RATES.


Washington, November 2S.-Th
ways are now being CREASED for the
launching of the movement for the
REIMBURSEMENT of postal rates in the
next session of congress. This prob
ON was to have been taken up in the
last session, but had to be deferred
on account of the consideration re-
CURED by railway mail pay. Since
this has been disposed of the COM
mittees are prepared to take up the
matter of placing the various postal
rates on II more suitable basis
A zone system of rates for second
class matter is being prominently
urged to take the place of the pres
cnt flat rate which was adopted near
y forty years ago. The present rate
has for some time been regarded as Il
discrimination against the newspa-
pers i'll favor of the great national
magazines. Like the parcel post the
proposed zone rates would be based
on the length of the haul.
The postal committees have been
bcseiged by petitions bearing millions
of names and several hundred thous-
and letters from individuals urging
Il REIMBURSEMENT of postal rates with
a view of making possible one ccns
postage. A survey of TIC situation
indicates that sufficient changes Will
be made in the various rates to permit
the granting of one cent rate ~
delivery letters in the next session
of Congress.
Chairman Moonc, of the House
Postal committee, said: 81 think the
committee will take up this second
class mail matter at the next session
and press it to conclusion. While
/ cannot speak for the committee.
this is my desire in the matter. do
not know what kind of bill we will
pass, whether 1t will have zone
feature attached to it or not This
view has been presented frequently
in years past, and sometimes receiv-
ed favor and sometimes not. AS to
what shape the Legislation will be i'm
l am not able TO say. but l am sure
the committee will rive it the best
possible shape in the public interest
=. Senator Hardwick, of Gcorgia. n
prominent member of the Senate nos
tai committee, said: 81 do think the
time has come when the ~cople who
write and mail letters and pay post
age ought not have quite so much
Vt this burden Of the price of trans
porting and handling the mail mat
ter OF the various national magazines
publications OH their shoulders"
Representative Carl Vinson. of
Georgia, said: "When letters can be
carried all over the country, and to
certain foreign countries, for two
-ents, and return a large profit, it is
quite evident that the profit on local,
or the so-called drop letters, must be
cXorbitant. The reduction will mean
no falling off in the revenues as it is
generally regarded that the volume
Of mail will practically be doubled
Immediately upon installation of the
new rate"
Representative Britt, of North Car.
DINA, former assistant Postmaster
General and now n member of the
House postal committee, saws that
Il cent will much more than pay the
cost of handling local delivery let
tiers and the creation of such n rate
Will be nowerful stimulus to urban
business and local correspondence, A
glance at the postal statistics will
show this rate to be easily feasible
/ am encouraged to believe that the
dav of the equitable adjustment of
our postal rates, and one-ccnt letter
postage is not far distant"