
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 3, 1990                   TAG: 9004030508
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

POSTAGE INCREASE IS NOT JUSTIFIED

I KNOW a lot of people are angry about the stamp prices going up 19 percent. I understand the reason: Less than half of the letters the post office handles are sorted by machine, all the rest by hand.

Still, unless machines don't work as well as they used to, there's no point to the postage increase. Why, the stamp I put on this letter cost more than it did in 1988. In 1985, I could buy five stamps for $1, and now the same amount only buys four.

In 1991, $1.50 will only buy five stamps. All this adds up - money that could lead to important scientific discoveries like the cure for cancer or maybe build a space station on the moon. This is something for the post office to think about next time they decide to increase the price of postage. ROBIN REED ROANOKE

by CNB