Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-01-25
ONE CENT
POSTAGE
POSSIBLE

UUU1DLk
One cent drop" letter postage will
probably become q reality as q result
of legislation which it is expected the
present session of congress viii en-
act as first step in the movement tor
general rate of one cent for ord :
nary letters.
An active campaign has been in
progress for the last five years look
ing towards one cent letter postage.
This has eliminated in definite a..
greement on the part of legislative
authorities at Washington to grant a
one cent local rate in all cities and
towns where deliveries are made. This
is the first step, the one which counts,
according to those who are prosecut-
ing this campaign towards securing
a general rate for the entire country.
In connection with a one cent rate
for local first class mail deliveries it
it planned to have a zone system of
rates for second class matter, which
is expected to increase the charges on
all periodicals of nation wide circu-
Iation. The proposition has been put
in concrete way by being made a
part of the appropriation bill of the
post office department. Under the
provision relating to one cent postage,
all first class matter, including let
tiers when mailed in any city or rural
district for delivery within the limits
of the city or district would be carried
at a one cent rate.
For handling newspapers and mag
azines a zone plan has been proposed
the idea being to divide the country
into eight zones, as follows:
Local, first, second and third zones,
under 300 miles, 1 cent per pound.
Fourth zone, 800 to 500 miles, two
cents per pound.
Fifth zone, 600 to 1000 miles, three
cents per pound.
Sixth zone, 1000 to 400 miles, four
cents per pound.
Seventh zone, 400 to 1900 miles, five
cents per pound.
Eighth zone, over 1900 miles six
cents per pound.
Free-in-county circulation provided
by the present law would continue as
at present. Daily newspapers will not
be affected, because they do not circu-
late beyond 300 mile radius,
Among other provisions, the bill in
creases rates for mail order catalogues
from two to eight cents a pound, MAX
ing them third class matter instead
of parcel post. This provision vital
Iy interests every merchant in every
city throughout the country.
Although the cost of carriage of
these catalogues for long time has
been a great deal higher than charged,
no definite step has ever been taken
to increase the rate until the present
provision was included in the appro-
priation bill.
The post office committees of the
senate and house have received liter
ally millions of names on petitions in
the past few months asking for a low
er rate than now charged. The COM
mittee has held number of sessions
and made a very careful survey of the
situation, and believes that lower
postage bill can be passed by congress.
Chairmen of the various committees
and members of the committees them
selves have in many instances express
ed their hearty approval of the pro-
posed changes, and it is not expected
that much difficulty will be found in Sc
curing the lower rate
For over five years the National One
Cent Postage Association, which has
it's headquarters at Cleveland, O., has
been vigorously fighting for the low
err rate. The association has members
in every city in the union, amounting
into the thousands, and has for the
past several years been conducting an
active educational campaign
THE I0IIY