The record-union., 1894-12-10
FACTS AND FIGURES.

NO not at tne same time feel the need OF
reason for the faith that is in them.
knowing, by this process, merely means
the assumption that a large class of fact is
proven when the proof rests upon mere
assumption. AS our contemporary does
not manifest that kind of perversity
which appears to enjoy self-deception,
we will be at the pains to make the sig
nificance of the Postmaster GeneraPs s
report so plain that the wayfaring man,
though employed in editing the Bee,
shall not be mistaken therein. Avoiding
exact figures for the sake of perspicuity,
and yet making no approximation that is
not close to the line of fact, we proceed:
The entire deficiency of the postal
service for the year ending June 13, 1894,
was ten millions of dollars. This is SIM
ply true, and in order thai its significance
may not escape attention, we will state it
IN another form: The Government ex-
pended ten millions Of dollars more than
the aggregate OF receipts for all postage.
1t drew upon other sources of revenue
to support the postal system the sum Of
ten million dollars. This being an ir-
refragible truth, we look into the details
to see the cause of this deficiency. We
find the Government charging thirty-two
cents per pound for letter postage and
one cent per pound Tor the transporta-
tion of newspapers and periodicals. The
Postmaster-Ge report shows that
the profit on the carriage of letters at
thirty-two cents per pound was 5000
while the loss on the carriage Of news
papers and magazines at one cent per
pound was ST., 100000. AS already stated,
these figures are not exact; but it would
be mere cavil to go into the hundreds OF
thousands, the thousands, the hundreds
and the cents.
1t is perhaps known to our contempo-
rary that letter postage is two cents per
ounce, or thirtytwo cents per pound, or
S640 per ton, or So, 400 per car of ten tons.
But upon this class of transportation there
was a profit of s., 10000 But the Gov
ernment also carried another tonnage at a
cent per pound, or $50 per ton, or $500 per
carload of ten tons, and upon this there
was loss of SI7, 100000 on account of
transportation alone, not including the
cost of clerk hire or distribution. The
loss relates to the excess of money paid to
the transporter over the whole amount
received by the Postal Department in the
way OF postage for the matter carried.
Here then is the Government scheme
of transportation. 1t has tonnage for
which it charges the enormous rate of
$640 per ton, and yet upon years trans
actions it loses ten millions of dollars.
The second-class matter, however, is
entitled to be considered by itself, be-
cause the facts are clearly stated by the
chief postal authority. He has expert
mented with transportation, and he has
found its cost. He says that the actual
cost of second-class matter for transport
alton alone was eight cents per pound, or
$l60 per ton. That was the cost, and he
declares this cost to be exclusive of hand
ling and exclusive of distribution and ali
other operative expenses, and therefore
merely the cost of transportation. Both
the Postmaster General and the President
attempt to excuse the loss on the ground
matter. This is simply and ridiculously
absurd. The reason of the loss was that
they did not charge an amount equal 10
the cost of doing. In fact, the Postmaster
General and the President both say that
it cost eight cents per pound to transport
second-class matter, for which transport
alton the Government received one cent
per pound, thus entailing loss of seven
cents per pound. The reason for this loss
OF seven cents per pound was that the
mails were extensively used for the
transportation of that class of matter.
1t is apparent on the face of this state
ment to everybody except the President,
the Postmaster-Gen eneral and our esteemed
contemporary that the reason for the loss
was that the Government did not charge
as much for the service as it cost to per-
form it. The cost was eight cents per
pound and it charged only one cent per
pound. Necessarily it lost seven cents
on every pound OF matter carried. As a
question of policy, both the President and
the Postmaster General are right in the
statement that there would be less loss if
there were less tonnage.
For the purpose of illustrating what
Government transportation would re-
suit in, it shows that the actual cost of
transporting second-class matter is Sl60
per ton or s., 900 per carload. The reason
why the total deficit was not greater than
it was is not far to seek. The Govern
ment charged Sc, 400 per carload for the
letters and received it. Herein we have
shining illustration of transportation
by the Government and Governmental
rate Of transportation. One class of mat
teris carried at So, 100 per carload; another
class is carried at $500 per carload, and
the deficit on years. business is $4,000