The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-12-02
POSTAL RATES
TO BE READJUSTED

| WAShlNGIONf december Line
ways are now being creased for the
! launching of the movement for the
! readjustment of postal rates in the
next session of Congress. This prob
| lem was to have been taken up in
the last session, but, had to be de-
ferred on account of the considera-
| ton required by railway mail pay.
Since this has been disposed of the
committees are prepared to take up
the matter of placing the various pos
| tai rates on a more equitable basis.
| A zone system of rates for second
class matter is being prominently
urged to take the place of the pres
ent fiat rate, which was adopted near
| ly forty years ago. The present rate
has for some time been regarded as
discrimination against the news
papers in 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
besieged by petitions bearing millions
of names and several hundred thou
sand letters from individuals urging
readjustment of postal rates with
view of making possible one-cent
| letter postage A survey of the situ-
alton indicates that sufficient changes
will be made in the various rates to
permit the granting of one-cent rate
on local delivery letters in the next
session of Congress.
~. 4
committee today said: II think that
| the committee will take up this sec
ond-class mail matter at the next ses-
| sion and press it to a conclusion at
once. While | cannot speak for the
committee, this is my desire in the
matter. I do not know what kind of
bill we will pass, whether it will
have zone feature attached to it or
not This view has been presented
frequently in years past, and some
times received favor and sometimes
not. AS to what shape the legislation
will be in / am not able to say, but
am sure the committee will give it the
best possible shape in the public in
terest."
4
said: Such legislation will be speci-
ally valuable to local merchants in
/ developing new business. The coun-
try is growing more prosperous each
| day, and a cheaper drop-letter post
age would. in my opinion, aid in MAX
ing it more prosperous than it has
ever been"
/ I'll of GoT
fornia said that: "Since the Govern
ment derives a very great profit from
| letters carried and delivered at dis
tant points, it is certain the profit
realized on local. or the so-called
drop-letters. must be exorbitant In
view of this condition, which is
vouched for by postal experts, I be-
lieve that Congress will be justified
in taking immediate action"
| Congressman Macarthur of Oregon
takes the stand that "the cost of
transporting a letter should have
something to do with the postage rate
and there is no valid reason why
more than one cent should be charged
for local deliveries. If my bill be
| 4 q
dency to stimulate business"
Congressman Humphrey of Wash
| ington said: II cannot believe that it
is fair or just that all the people
| should be taxed for the benefit of the
magazine publishers of the country.
That is exactly what is done under
the present system of two-cent post
| hof ~
cent stamp on a letter is taxed one
cent for the benefit of the magazines.
Congressman Randall of California,
a member of the postal committee and
author of the zone rate bill for sec
ond-class matter, says that his bill is
designed to remove several gross evils
or abuses from which the American
people suffer in the administration of
the postal affairs of the country.
"The time has come" said Mr.. Ran
dali, when the postal service must
be put on business basis. D.scrimi-
nations against the man who buys
the two-cent stamp, and against the
publishers of the newspaper in the
local field, must cease. The postal
rate of one cent per pound which is
granted as a virtual subsidy to the
national papers of the magazine class
has resulted in fabulous fortunes for
private interests, and to which the
postal department is given plain
contribution of more than SS0,000.000
annually"
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