Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03
Patrons of u. S. Mails
To Hold a Convention
BY HARDEN CoLFAx.

BY HARDEN COLFAX.
An informal convention of patrons
of Uncle Sans mail service the first
ever held. is scheduled for November
IL, IL and Is at the Post Once De-
partment here when suggestions for
notifications Of laws and regulations
affecting the service will be discussed.
The butcher, the baker and the
candlestiek maker will be welcomed but
while the invitation Is general the
practical side of such a conference Is
recognized by special invitations to
some 200 odd users of the mails who
have submitted SPECIFIC suggestions or
complaints In the ordinary course OF
business.
Questions Of rates of postage are not
involved directly, being matters pri-
marily of legislation; indirectly some of
the suggested changes in regulations
which 1t is expected will be discussed
by the Postmaster General and his
assistants with the mail users may be
Sad to have bearing on rates.
-
Handling the mails Is the Govern
ments great monopoly. II is an ex-
pensive one. The growing deficit is
being made the subject of an intensive
study, with the especial thought of
alloeating the cost more definitely than
has been attempted in the past, q topic
of which it is likely much will be
heard later this Winter
InaSmuch as the general public Is
called upon to defray the cost of the
mounting difference between receipts
and the expenses of the postal service,
the whole body of the people, whether
major or minor users of the mail as
individuals, has an interest in discus
Sims
even indirectly affect the rates.
~
One Of the subjects scheduled for
consideration at the conference q week
from Monday is the regulations under
which business reply cards and en-
velopeS are handled. This is first-class
mail, new provision having become
effective July l, 1928. Formerly, il a
mail user desired to stimulate reply
from prospect, a stamped, self
addressed envelope or postcard was in
closed. A lot of stamps went aStray
how many no one knows, but sufficient
at least to bring about pressure on
Congress for authority to use the bust
ness reply" card and envelope. Under
this system, after q permit has been
secured cards and envelopes may be
mailed without postage by the recipient
who Is the one who originally caused
them to be sent out The system has
come into wide use In the Is months
1t has been In operation. Inasmuch as
the postage on q COLLECTION delivery
card or letter Is cent above the
stamp rate, yet permittees are becoming
more numerous, the diversion of stamps
under the old system of enticing replies
must have been more costly. Large
users of this system will ask changes
at the forthcoming conferences to per-
NIT sizes of cards and envelopes now
forbidden by the regulations.
Also In the flrst-class mail discussions
there will be suggestions for modifloa-
ton of the rule requiring that nom
metered matter be presented in a mini
mum quantity Of not less than
to letters sent without stamps, but with
postage paid in cash when mailed,
Representatives of publishers will dis
cusS second-clasS mail at one of the
sessions, with questions Of service up
perlnost.
Users of third-class mail, principally
advertisers and business Arms sending
light packages, will have their inning,
too. One of the topics will be regula-
pound rate" of l2 cents . pound
OF the minimum rate of cent per
piece for this class of unsealed mail
to separate the matter into direct
packages when there are as many as
Is pieces for the same post Office
or State, This requirement facilitates
distribution In the mailing post ONCE.
but some Of the mailers think the work
should be done by Uncle Sam.
y II y
The users of fourth-elass mail service,
the parcel post" for all unsealed mat
ter weighing more than ounces
to the piece or package, desire modi-
flcation of regulations regarding in
closures. The present regulations for
bid Enclosure of written or printed
matter or matter other than which Is
purely descriptive of the content. Lib
eralization is to be sought.
OF the four major divisions of mail
matter, only first-elass paid It's own
way, according to the ALLEGATION of costs
by the Post once Department for the
fiscal year 1928, which was based upon
counts for specific periods at att offices
in various sections. A closer analysis
is being made now,
In that year, the postal deficit was
in excess of $SS,000,000 The financial
accounting recorded profit of sat-
from first-class mail, Second olass mail
is credited with a deficit of $a5, 00O, 600;
third class, deficit of $4,000, 600, and
fourth class, deficit of $1,000, 900. to
use round figures in all eases, OF the
special service. profits were reported for
special delivery and postal savings, and
deficits for registry, insurance, collect
on delivery and n1oney-ordeH.
(Copyright 1922