By Bill McAllister

The Washington Post - Tuesday, February 16, 1999; Page A15

The nation is stuck on self-adhesive stamps.

Only one in nine stamps purchased at the nation's post offices requires licking, Postal Service spokesman Barry Ziehl said last week.

Previously, officials had said that 80 percent of the nation's stamps sold were self-adhesive. That was based on a 1997 survey, but Ziehl said 1998 results indicate that percentage has grown to 90 percent.

Sales of self-adhesive stamps skyrocketed in the mid-1990s after then-Postmaster General Marvin T. Runyon eliminated a surcharge that covered their added costs.

The agency reached another milestone in its second accounting period, Oct. 10 to Nov. 6, officials said. During that period the Postal Service for the first time delivered more advertising mail than first-class letters. It is proof of what postal officials have been saying about the likely erosion of first-class letters from the mail stream.

During that accounting period, the Postal Service took in $2.6 billion on 7.8 billion first-class letters, but it also carried 8.4 billion pieces of advertising mail, earning far less, $1.4 billion.

Since then, letter volume has resumed its normal position ahead of advertising mail volume, officials said.