“If the world is getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?”

“If the world is getting smaller, why do they keep raising the postal rates?” is a jocular saying that was printed in many 1961 newspapers. “If the world is really getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?” is a slight variation that has been used since at least 1997.
 
               
12 April 1961, Postville (IA) Herald, “As I See It” by C.W.D., pg. 10, col. 1:
Overheard one lady at a postal window asking, “If the world is getting smaller, why do they keep raising the postal rates?”
   
12 August 1961, Cleveland (OH) Call and Post, “Wish I’d Said That,” pg. 8-C, col. 4:
“If the world is getting smaller, why do they keep raising postal rates?”—William L. Kinney, Bennettsville (S.C.) Herald-Advocate.
 
23 July 1971, Odessa (TX) American, “The Quipster,” pg. 1, col. 4:
Why do postal rates keep going up if the world keeps getting smaller?
     
Google Books
The Comic Encyclopedia:
A Library of the Literature and History of Humor Containing Thousands of Gags, Sayings, and Stories

By Evan Esar
Garden City, NY: Doubleday
1978
Pg. 642:
If the world is getting smaller, why do they keep raising the postal rates?
 
Google Books
The Complete Book of Zingers
By Croft M. Pentz
Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers
1990
Pg. 304:
If the world is getting smaller, why do they keep raising postal rates?
 
21 September 1997, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), “The Funnybone,” pg. H7, col. 3:
If the world is really getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?
Opal Smith, Louisville
 
10 December 2000, Edmonton (Alberta) Journal, “Telescope,” pg. E2:
“If the world is getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?”
—Comic Ron Dentinger
 
Google Groups: aqua_avatars
why??why??
aquarian2
4/21/05
(...)
If the world is smaller why do postal rates keep going up?
   
Twitter
Daily Jokes‏
@webfoolish
If the world is getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?  http://www.webfoolish.com
3:04 PM - 13 Aug 2009
   
Google Books
552 Questions That Make You Go “Hmmmmm!” / 87 Great Put Downs!
By Wayne Cundal
Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse
2010
Pg. 14:
If the world is getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?
   
Google Books
Sensible Nonsense.. Frank’s Comic Pack:
Humour Pack Series

By Frank Paul
Bookbaby
2014
Pg. ?:
“If the world is getting smaller, why do postal rates keep going up?”
 
Twitter
Lucky Score‏
@LuckyScoreNet
If the world is getting smaller, why do
postal rates keep going
up?
#Joke from #AnswerMeThisJokes in #Jokes, #Humor and #Satire
11:56 PM - 16 Dec 2017