The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-18
POSTAL FORCES
SHOULD BE USED
IN BOND SALES
Chairman Hanna Will So
Advise Government in
Recommendations
OFFER SPLENDID
WORKING BODY
Could Have Reached Thou
sands More in North Da-
kota by Using Them

! Effective mobilization Of the nations
force of postmasters and rural car
riers will be recommended by L. b.
Hanna. Fargo, chairman OF the North
Dakota committee in charge of the
sale of Liberty Loan bonds, as meas
( ure by which the nation can better
reach the people Of the United States
to raise money for war purposes.
Mr.. Hanna, as well as the chairmen
of committees in other states, has been
asked to make recommendation to
the government bearing upon the next
loan issue, to the end that the nations
bond selling organization may get the
full advantage of experience gained py
its state chairman in the campaign
Just closed.
4 shall advise that the postmasters
and rural carriers offer to the govern
ment a splendid opportunity for get
ting in touch with thousands of people
who were not approached in the last
campaign.
Gould Reach Many More.
'For instance, in the state of North
Dakota. there are approximately 1900
postofices, and in only 500 towns there
are banks. AS a result. the Liberty
Loan message was not carried directly
to the people of 700 towns.
Again, there are about 500 rural car
riers in North Dakota, and they make
deliveries of mail to an average OF 80
families each. They are in direct tOucn
with 10000 people.
"If the government effectively or
ganizes the postmasters and the rural
carriers, making 1t their duty to prose-
cute the sale Of bonds, 1t is quite evil.
dent that a tremendous proportion OF
North Dakota's population, S not in
formed OF the opportunity to invest IN
Liberty Loan bonds, will be informed
of their opportunity to aid the govern
ment when the next bond issue Is
hoated.
$1,000 In Nation.
''What holds true of North Dakota
holds true of the nation. The fifty
thousand or more rural carriers in the
United States. armed with circulars
application blanks, etc. deposited with
every patron on their routes, comprise
a force that would be Of inestimable
value, and at no cost to the govern
ment
NEach carrier and each postmaster
should be thoroughly posted as to the
next loan, that he will be in position to
explain to the people who seek infor-
nation. and 1t should be made their
business to spread the doctrine of buy
ing bonds as actively and thoroughly
as possible.
'Tn the Liberty Loan campaign, the
government didn't use the postof1ce
department.
Use FranI<ins Privilege.
"Tt also seems that the government
should establish a plan of handling all
mail incident to the prosecution of the
bond selling campaign free OF charge.
The franking privilege should cover
this work, inasmuch as 1t Is federal
proposition.
"Many of the men who have aided
this committee in the conduct Of the
campaign, have spent freely or their
cwn money, without thought or ex-
pectation Of being reimbursed. They
should, at least, be given the privilege
of franking mail that relates to the
CAS- for the payment of personal ex-
nenses incident to the work, that is a
mooted question. There are men VINO
have spent their time and money IN
this work. who cannot afford to do so,
and it would seem that they are en-
titled to some consideration.
mo commissions are paid for the
sale of the bonds, the act creating
the bonds expressly prohibiting COM
missions. All of the work has been
on a volunteer basis.
Advertising.
81 viii also recommend that in
handling the advertisin g. the
government, instead of calling on
newspapers to give their space free,
make provision for the payment of the
actual cost to the publisher of the
space that is used. Newspapers have
only one commodity to sell, their adj
vertising space, and it Is no more
fair that the government should de-
mand that space without compensa-
ton. than it would be for the govern
ment to go into a mans store and
demand a pound of sugar. ] do not
believe, however, that publishers
should be permitted profit.
I'm all advertising, I will also sug-
gest that a blank application be car
ried. SO that those who read may
have an opportunity Of subscribing
without further difficulty. The invest
ment should be made just as easily
as possible, eliminating red tape and
inconvenience to the greatest practical
degree.
'The next campaign, If the govern
ment profits by. the experience gained
in the first, should be even more sue
cessful."