Omaha daily bee., 1917-08-06
Doesn't Like New Post Rate.

Omaha, Aug. 4.-To the Editor of
The Bee: am opposed to any increase
IN postage. because 1t is penny wise
and pound foolish. The low rate Of
postage in this country is a distin-
gushing mark Of high civilization and
a stimulant to sociability. The ignor-
ant, sordid and unsocial, who write
two or three letters year, will be lit
tie affected by such increase, but the
intellectual, friendly, social people who
keep their friendships alive by corre-
spondence, will have to bear this en-
tire burden.
1t Is an outrage to tax anything that
does not produce gain. 1t is conf1scat-
ing pleasure and privilege. I resent it,
as l would tax on prayer, benevo-
lent contributions, a shave or a bath
Raise all the revenue necessary, but
put the tax on something that yields
the means to pay 1t. Millions of our
boys-and girls, too-will go to the
front in the near future and sad good
Dyes will be heard on every hand. Why
embitter the separation by increasing
the cost Of communication--ab the
only comfort they will have while
away from home? It is treason to ask
our boys to give up everything-even
life ttself-and increase the cost of
their only comfort, message from
home.
We are arresting men for discourage
ing enlistments and interfering with
the draft. Members of congress are
doing the same, when they increase the
cost OF correspondence between the
boys and their loved ones at home.
III i were congressman or a SEN
ator, / would be ashamed to have INV
dope printed free and distributed by
the ton on ranking privilege and
then increase the cost Of postage 90
per cent to soldier boys and their
mothers. I'd be ashamed to sponge an
hour longer on the government: rd
pay my postage, as other men do, and
not increase 1t on an already heavily
burdened people.
we had hard struggle in the civil
war; our money was greatly depreciat-
ed In value, but congress was never
unpatriotic enough to propose an in
crease In postage. It's an outrage to
propose 1t now. Congress refused to
increase second class postage q. wear
or two ago. under the protest of pub
nsners; now 1T Is trying to saddle an
increase on the people at large, who
are less able to pay it, but cannot get
together. as the publishers did, to pro-
test against 1t.
II more revenue Is necessary. mt
the additional tax on commercial pa-
per, something that yields profit, and
not on friendly correspondence. which
produces no income. Put It on the
price boosters. They are making s100.-
ooo,o0O a month out of a patient peo-
pie who have been looking to congress
Tor five months for protection. Specu-
iators are fleeing the people out Of
sl,zo0,0OO,00O year, more than half
the entire revenue we propose to raise
this year, and we let them do II, hv
delaying the food law" Nay. we do
more; we increase the burdens Of the
people by increasing their postage-a
wrong which no emergency can Justify
What is government for? "To pro-
tect the people and promote the gem
eral welfare" our constitution saws
but we are not doing 1t. We passed the
Questionable Adamson law in about a
week. The nation has been writing
under the hand of the extortioner for
years and we do nothing but talk, talk
talk. It's time to do something. Re-
iieve the people and we can have all
the revenue we need. Tax business NOT
social privileges d. c. JOHN.