OCR Text |
Show I ONE CENT LETTER I POSTAGE RATE If CuttncM Men of County Regard Ap-HR Ap-HR polrttment of Commlttton ln. l tlal 8tep Toward Thlt mm "K End Cj: Att'on on tha part of Postmaster l'' CJ'ncrtl Albort .8. Burleson, lnvolv-H lnvolv-H Ji.;; ibo appointment of a commission II to Investigate the "actual financial, l. physlca". and working conditions of H !i the, postal service" Is regarded by H business men all over tho country as H !, ' thn Initial step towards ona cent lot- H tor postage. H I I'ojtmastcr General Ilurlcson I lull- ici ten that tlicro have been bo many H p conflicting reports nB to the general H conditions of the department that he H )iaa decided to bavo a full and com-H com-H plo o Investigation made with n view to determining tho exact status of H afTa'rs. t vo commission Is composed of ',, iianlcl C. Itopcr, .loscph.Stowart, A. Hi it. Uockory nnd James I. Illacksloo, H first, second, third and fourth assist-H assist-H ant postmasters general respectively, H ' and Mcrrltt 0. Chance, chief clork H of tho department. Thoso aro tho now H officials Just appointed undor tho Wll- H son administration to conduct the nf- H ' Ulra of tho post offlco department. H Now that tho parcels post Is In nc i H tual operation and bids fair to bo ox- tended during tho noit few years, It H Is claimed by business men general- H ly Hint their demand for n ono cent H letter rato should bo heeded. They H point to tho rak that tho post office H department Is. now roMlzltig an enor- Hj inouK surplus, something llko $G!i.- HJ ' -000,000 per year, from tho letter mail. H Although letter mall cntistltulcs but HJ fourteen percent of the revenue re- HJ celred from all classes, and It Is cvl- H dent that tills Is n decided dlscrlm- HJ 'lnatlcn against usors of first class or HJ Jcttcr mall. HJ Oue of the Interesting features of HJ the post olllco department which will HJ bo Investigated Is tho so called "blue HJ tag" system. In September, 1911, HJ tbo plan was Inaugurated. It covers HJ that section of tbo United Stntcs ly- Hj Ing between Pittsburg, ltuffnlo, Chi- HJ eago, St. liouln nnd Knnsas City nnd HJ pravMes that within this section, so- HJ cond class mall particularly heavy HJ magazine mall, shall he linuled In HJ freight c:ira. A report from Post- HJ mnifter Childs or KansaB City lndl- HJ rates that tho system linn been n HJ .crent. success so far as It lias boon HJ Worked out. Heports furnished by J Postmaster Childs Indicate thir tho J -saving on tlio small part of tho whole J umlt that this iiortlon covered for n HJ term of Huvwnteen months whs $3GI,- H .?!!;. no. HJ l-'orr .. Postmaster General Hitch- HJ -z .' , ..no reC3iitly retired from ollice, J ujs firm n ho belief tlint tin lm- HJ niensu saving could bo effected J throughout tho country If this plnn HJ Cp.fol'owed, and all largo eastern J magazine publishers required to ilia- J tribute their product In this manner. J The Curtis Publishing compnny or J Philadelphia, probably tho largest HJ po;lodlcnl pubUhers In the world, J ship out of Philadelphia by regular HJ moll servlco every day from (i to 10 HJ fully loaded cars stacked to tho roof HJ with magazines. Thesonro carrleit HJ at the rate of oue cunt per pound or HJ J2Q per ton. When shipped In this HJ way they may bo carried for that rl- HJ dlculous sum, all the way from Phil- HJ adelphla to California. HJ Letter mall, on tho othor hand, HJ costs Its originators an avcrago rate HJ of oVer SI cents por pound, because HJ thero aro In tho neighborhood of 45 HJ pieces, lilclmflng somo postal cards, HJ to tho pound. This moans n cost of Hi JIG. SO per ton to the. originator of HJ letter mall, ns against $20 per ton HJ for the big magazines published In Hi tho cast, some of which' c'hnrgo ns HJ ' Igh as (5000 a pago for advertise- HJ HJ It Is claimed that tho loss to the HJ r. givcrnment through this lack of HJ business method Is over $00,000,000 HJ rxr year, sulllcient to entirely eat HH,. ' '' the surplus furnished by first HJj ass mall. HH' I Is to investigate this ontlro prob HH'' I'm with a vlow to making rocoin- HH rendatlons for a suitable readjust- HH rent that tbo commission will deal. HH f sntlnicnt In favor of a ono cent let- H tpr rato Is now strong throughout HH to country, according to officers of HH tho National Ono Cent Letter Pos- HH (ago Association, which has Its head- HH quarters In Clovoland, and which Is I HH conducting a vigorous campaign for HJ tho lowqr rato. |