Newspaper Page Text
2 TRUTH
H Sixteenth District Carl B. Larson,
Castlcdnlc.
Seventeenth District J. P. Miller,
M Moab.
M Eighteenth District Martin Jcns.cn,
M Redmond.
Nineteenth District Orvil L.
M Thompson, Scl)lo.
Twentieth District J. P. Tolton,
fl Dcavcr City.
m Twenty-flrst District -James 1-oiig,
M Jr., Klmhcrly.
1 Twenty-second District Soth Tott,
1 Thurbcr.
1 Twenty-third District John II. Hon-
M ric, Pangultch.
1 Twenty-fourth District John Parry,
1 Cedar City.
1 Twonty-nrth District Thomas P.
H Cottam, St. George.
H Twonty-slxth District Hebor J.
H Meeks," Ordervllle.
H Twenty-seventh District Hobort P.
H Holt, Verdlnc.
H CORPORATION WANTS POSTAL
BUSINESS.
B To- turn over the postal servlco of
M the United States to a privato cor-
m poration under strict public control
M is tho rcniarkablo proposal mado to
M the Postal Commission.
B W. D. Doyce, of Chicago; publisher,
H man of big affairs and sovcral times
H a millionaire, mado tho proposition,
M on behalf of himself and associates,
M "whom ho did not name, to take over
M tho postolllco business and run it on
M business principles.
m Tho proposal includes agreement
H Immediately to cut postage rates In
M half. There could bo no deficit un-
B dor such nil arrangement for tho
H government to moot, because the
H corporation would have to make
M ends meet.
Mr. Boyco wants tho postal car-
H poratiou under a postal commission
H which shall bo the regulating and
m supervising agency of tlio govern-
M ment.
H Ho proposes to pay Undo. Sam
M rental for all postolllco quarters oc-
cupicd In public buildings, and" over
against this ho designs to churgo
HI tho government regular rates for
all services performed for It. These
M government scrvlccH ho now estl-
I mates at $25,000,000 annually. At
half tho present rates this would be
I cut to $12,n00,000.
Applying business methods to
M postolllco affairs would result in iin-
M uionsQ ccouomlcs In transportation.
HI Mr. Uoyco figures that tho expend!-
M turo for railroad haulage would bo
I cut from $50,000,000 to about one-h:ilf
that sum.
Cut Out All Sinecures.
M Ho calculates likcwlso that oruamen-
tal or political sinecures would bo olim-
fl Inalod. Tho "political postmaster"
m would get short shrift, and tho deputy
m who does tho work would bo the re-
HI sponslblo man.
M Mr. Boyco's proposition, ho insists,
is mado In tho utmost good faith. Cor-
tain it is that It affords a most efrec-
tlvo talking point from which to point
out tho weakness of present postal
management. Direct comparison of tho
present postolllco organization with
methods commonly prevailing In pri
ll rato business and in gieat public ser-
vlco corporations is considered by tho
J publishers tho most effective method
I of demonstrating tho unreason of ro
ll strlctions which tho department is
J disposed to imposo upon thorn. Mr.
J Boyco's proposition may have Its "hole
J In tho skimmer," but Its author doesn't
J think so. Ho says good management
J will mako tho business pay at half of
J present rates.
"All I want Is to got myself and my
J proposition taken seriously," ho de-
Clares, "After that It will bo. easy, for
J tho public wants lower post rates. I
J am not a man to bo making a bluff at
a thing like this; I have too many in-
torests that could bo seriously Injured
by such a course. Tho packing Is
ready to form ft coYiioriUlon, flnrt tnUo
over tho postal servlco on the terms I '
havo outlined.
To Have Rural Postal Express.
"Of course, wo would propose to de
velop tho business, as any private bus
iness management would do. For In
stance, wo havo a plan of rural postal
express, by which rural carriers would
receive and deliver goods on their
routes, carrying tho packages outside
tho mall. This would not extend off
the glvpn route. It would mako every
country storo a mail-order house, and
would bring an Immense measuro of
support to tho plan from tho very
peoplo who aro afraid of tho parcels
post lest It should kill tho country
merchant."
"Hut doesn't your plan lncludo any
recognition of tho parcels post, or
some' provision for It?"
"No, that's too unpopular," replied
Mr. Doyce. "Maybo It will como somo
day, but we don't want it now. If con
gress over wanted it, to Introduce It
under our system would bo simple."
"And you haven't llgurod on the pos
sibility of tho postal savings bank at
tachment to tho service?"
"No, that hasn't been taken up. The
sorvlco can bo developed and expand
ed in Its functions just as fast as con
gross wants, under our system as well
as under any other. Wo would want
to mako It earn moro revenues; wo
Would mako tho rural delivery a money-earning
end of tho service, instead
of an expenso as now, and wo would
take mail to every houso in tho land.
"You know that tho Postolllco De
partment doesn't own postolhco build
ings, do you not? Thoso aro built by
tho Treasury Department and owned
by It. Tho Immense cost of rental of
paco In them for postal purposes Is
not charged to tho postal revenues.
Well, wo proposo to pay rental. Wo
propose regulations that will develop
tho business; that's how wo will mako
tho profit. Reducing tho postal rates
will-expand tho business Just ns It did
the last time those rates wero reduced.
In 1S85.
"Tho traffic features of this plan
havo boon figured out by a competent
man; tho position of president, or gen
eral manager, or whatever tho execu
tive may bo In tho Postal Corporation,
has been offered to one of tho great
traffic experts of tho country at $30,
000 a year. Why, my first Idea of for
mulating such a plan as this camo
from a railroad president seven yours
ago, when ho declared, talking of
hauling tho mails, that ho would
rather never do a dollar's business for
tho government, it he could avoid It;
it was so much less satisfactory than
doing business for a privato con
cern." Mr. Boyco was pressed to Indlcnto
who aro tho men backing his enter
prise, but ho would not do bo.
Big Men Backing Proposition.
"As the postal business is all a cash
In advanco operation," ho said, "wo
havo calculated that $50,000,000 cap
ital would bo enough. Among tho men
associated with mo in this proposal
Is ono big advertiser, a great manu
facturer, a merchant prince, and a cap
italist who has Immense and widely
divergent interests. But these men
don't want to bo sot up to bo shot at
till thoy know whether thero Is a
chanco of the government taking an
Interest In the proposal. Then. If the
government will Indlcato a fi loudly
attltudo toward us, at least a willing
ness to consldor our scheme, they will
como forward and let everybody know
thero Is plenty of financial backing."
Mr. Boyco's basic postulate is that
tho second class mall matter should bo
mado to build up a greater business
and revenue from first class matter.
Ho has studied and analyzed a wide
range of advertising experience, figur
ing out tho number of letters that are
written in responso to advertising.
Tho advertising, carried at tho low
second class rato, causes these letters
to bo wrlttes; and the aggregate of
tlio business thus atavtod ia big, and
highly profitable. It Is Ills idea, as It,
Is that of publishers generally, that re
strictions of tho advertising privileges
of second class publications havo a di
rect and highly Important effect In. re
ducing tho volume of first class mat
ter handled. On this phaso oi mo
problem Mr. Boyco is an authority,
and his argument Is most effective,
Tho proposal which was laid before
the Postal Commission at its session
follows:
I am authorized by responsible par
ties to mako a proposition that will
eliminate tho deficit, give penny post
ago on letters, and reduce tho rato
on matter of second class from 1 cent
to one-half cent a pound.
Tho statement has frequently boen
mado by somo persons connected with
tho postal servlco, that if the depart
ment was run as a privato business,
thero would bo no deficit, but a profit.
Nino different Postmasters General
havo occupied the position during
twenty years. No privato business
could successfully contlnuo with so
many changes.
Wo havo mado sufficient Investiga
tion to convince ourselves of feasibil
ity and financial success, and havo
been advised that there is no consti
tutional Inhibition.
A careful comaprison of rates of pos
tage now charged on first and second
class matter with tho rates herein
proposed will demonstrate that it
means an average saving for tho next
twenty years to tho government and
public, of $100,000,000 annually.
Wo proposo to perform all services
now rendered by tho Postoffice De
partment and carry out all treaty stip
ulations and to take the entire receipts
arising from tho postal servlco as full
compensation, and pay all salaries and
expenses.
Scale of Cheaper Rates.
Wo propose, first, tho reduction by
one-half of postage on first and secono
class matter, or ono cent per ounce or
fraction thereof on first class, and one
half cent por pound on second class
matter except county freo for Week
lies ns heretofore.
Second, tho wiping out of the defi
cit. Third, wo will pay tho United States
all not profits over 7 per cent interest
on capital Invested.
Wo call attention to tho following
btatistics.
Tho rovenuo, expenditures, and de
ficit of tho Postolllco Department from
tho beginning of tho fiscal year July
1, 1805, to tho closo of tho fiscal year
1885, a period of twenty years, wero
as follows:
Itovenuo $oGl,2.Tl5u.:i0
Expenditures 642,422,015.61
During this period, first class mail
was charged for at 3 cents for one
half ounce or fraction thereof, and
second class at 2 cents per pound (a
greater rato than 2 cents per pound
having been charged during a part of
such period on second class matter;.
Tho rovenuo, expenditures, and de
ficit of tho Postolllco Department from
the beginning of tho fiscal year July 1,
1885, to tho closo of tho fiscal year
1905, a period of twenty years, wero
as follows:
Revenuo $1,743,027.G2G.7!)
Expenditures $1,884,153,886.63
Deficit 8 per cent
The reduction In tho deficit was 45
per cent. Tho deficit for 1906 was only
6 per cent of tho rovenuo.
During this second period the re
ceipts wero moro than three times as
much as wero tho receipts from 1865
to 1885.
Tho rato of postago collected by the
government from July 1, 1885, to Juno
30, 1905, on firs class matter was two
cents per ounce or fraction thereof
with an Increase In weight from one
half ounce to ono ounce, and a reduc
tion In postage from three cents to
two cents, equal to a reduction on first
class matter of 66 2-3 per cent.
On fiocond class matter, tho amount
collected from ono cent per pound, a
reduction of 50 pel cent for an Improv I
ed service over the previous llerlod :
and during Which latter period tho do- i
flclt had also been reduced from 14
to 8 per cent as before stated. j
Wo aro convinced that because of
tho great Increase in density of popu
lation, and the great increase that Will 1
again bo mado in first and second class '
mall because of a reduction in tho rate
of postago, that tho time has como for
a further reduction In postago. s
In tho evidence given beforo this
commission in New York, In speaking
of tho orders Issued by tho Postoffice
Department on July 17, 1901, tho fol
lowing language was used: i
"It (meaning the Postolllco Depart- h
ment) was not thereafter to bo bound N
by tho precedents." I.
It Is to precedents and previous con-
structlon of laws tho business wuuu t
looks In making calculations for tho i
future, and the frequent overturning
of precedents by new departmental
rulings upon a given point causes con-
fusion and. loss, and places vested ,-"
rights In jeopardy. To obviato this, i
and to enable tho establishment of a ,
fixed set of rules and regulations, we ,'
would requiro that congress enact a
law providing for the appointment of
a commission for the control of tho
!
Home Visitors' Excursion ',
EAST
Nov. 20th and Dec. 18th
Via j
Following rites will preial from Salt Lake:
Denver and return . $19.76
Omaha and return . . 32 00 1
Chicago and return . 44 60
Kansas City and return 32 00
St. Louis and return 30.60 ,
1'roportlonnfrly low rates from and
to ii any other points.
IIC ETS LIMITED TO 60 DATS FROM DUE
OF SALE
Seo Agents for further particulars
City Ticket Office - - 201 Main St.
DRUNKENNESS CURED.
y'HPv "7Sf A positive nnil norma-
' ijjjigj. uS-iip. nt-iit cure for DriinUon
TJj7ETjnBjE ness nud Druir Addle-
HffllRl'l Rl fcl fH? Hrnnch-Pnront Houso,
fiYrr iiTCMi iTtil D"lghr- "' ('orrespou--''
"' " ' donco I'onflrieutlal.
KEELEY INSTITUTE m
331 W. S. Temple at, Salt Luke City. Utah'
jjM 9ss Celia Sharp
IjBjZ UtaoAtr o iPiano
53 Constitution S3ocA
ECZEMA AND PILET CURE f
K CHAItQR. to any aHlloted a posltlvo i
J. euro fop Bi-zPm.SHltKI,oum,Kryli" 5
SUSh. Pt"I? "Hr limer, Wrlto F.
K iV-w.LI',Ii'S.4'OManliattanAvwu0 2
Jf New York. Enoloso Stamp, 2
