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Show TO REDUCE LETTER ' POSTAGE There Is a strong demand for one ttnt letter postage and lately an organization, or-ganization, nation wide, has been formed to urge upon the postoffice department and congress the merits ot the agitation for lower postage. Representative Charles L Bartlett of Georgia, who Is championing the cause of reduced pontage, has presented pre-sented a bill to (.onsresa which pro- Ides for one-cent postage "There are many reasons wb) I believe In one-cent letter postage" declared de-clared Representative Bartlett "For the fiscal year ending June .".nth. 1912, the total expend s of th post office department were over $-48, oiin.OOO. The total receipts from all . classes of mall and the money order Bysteras were $246. 740,000 Of this, I first class mall produced about $17".-(100,000, $17".-(100,000, or over 7" pr rent of 'lint furnished foj all revenue-producing n.all this despite the fact that Its weight was only about one-eighth of the total. "First class mail is carried at the rate of two cents for letters weigh ing one ounce, and one cent for postal pos-tal card?, of which there are over one hundred and sixty to the pound. As most letter. are light, and average about forty to the pound, with a few postcards. It may be seen that letter n.ail pays over S4c per pound, which - mi per ton Naturally t )..- rate is Immpnsely profitable to the government gov-ernment Last year It paid a net profit of about $70,000,000. During the year ending June "nth. 1912, the department de-partment received over $18,750,000 tor postal cards, the weight of which was about eleven million pounds. It hns been demonstrated bj post-office post-office authorities that letters can be carried for one cent, and any rate over one cent represents clear profit to the government As a matter of fact, it is probable that a one-cent letter mall rate will pay a handsome profit shen it comes Into existence' |