The record-union., 1894-11-28
POSTAL SERVICE FAILURE.

s '0''0O'0V0i "ouiu uo well TO READ the
annual report submitted by Postmaster.
General Bissell. We quote some of the
figures, and when they have been OBJ
served by our Intelligent contemporaries,
we shall feel at liberty not to mention the
Postal Department as an instance of sue
cessful operation of Government trans
portation.
Inc total revenue for the year ending
june 30, 1894, was $50, $50, 900; the total
expenditures, $50. 900. 600; the deficit fol-
the year, S9,24O, 600. The transportation
o1 mail matter is not one per cent, nor
one-haf of one per cent. OF the tonnage
Oh the interstate commerce; and the prob
lem presented is, if the TRANSPORTATION OF
one per cent. of the tonnage entails loss
OF about Sl0.OOO.GOO, what would be the
loss on the remaining ninety-niue per
cent?
We present another choice morsel. In
his report Postmaster General Bissell
fnds fault very cautiously with second
class matter. Our readers will under
stand that second-class matter means the
try. They are carried free in the county
OF publication, and they are charged one
cent per pound for the use of the mails
when the subscriber lives outside of the
county. The cost of carrying newspapers
to their subscribers was $40, ,320, 900, while
the one cent per pound collected amount
cd to S2,547 900, to which must be added
SS0O,OOO, special local rates in carrier
cities, leaving net loss to the Govern
ment of Sl6,573, 900.
1t will be observed that the total loss or
deficiency on account of the postal sys-
tenn of the United States was s.. .240, 900,
and here We find that the one cent per
pound rate on newspapers and perlodi-
Gals entailed a loss of $l6,5 900. This
accounts for s., 1888, 900 in excess of the en-
tire loss of the postal system.
With this data we can derive what the
profit would have been but for this SUBJ
Sidy to the publishers of the United
States. The letter carriage of the United
States evidently yielded a profit of ST.
333, 900. To state this in another form
which will be more readily understood
the total loss was $9,240,000; but one item
of the account entails loss of over Sl6,-
0eO,000. If this item had not been in the
account at all, there would not only have
ffa
there would have been proht Of 81 ,OOO,-
600, as already shown.
The plain fact is that the one cent rate
IS costing the Government net loss of
over Sl6,00O,000 per annum. Formerly
the subscribers paid postage at the office
OF delivery. This was changed by law
permitting publishers to send their edi-
tions by the pound, payable at the mail
office. The rate was made low. and as a
rule publishers give this rate as kind of
premium to subscribers; but it is very
small premium at best.
A rate which would have paid the ex-
pense of the transportation of the news
papers would, according to the figures pre-
sented by the Postmaster General. be
about eight times the present rate, or eight
cents per pound. 1t will be observed the
entire cost was over 100000 while the
entire receipts at the one cent per pound
rate were 8, 100000. The Government is
therefore carrying the second-class mat
ter at a cost of about nine cents per
pound. The friends of Government own
ership of railroads are fond of citing the
postal instance in defense of their theory
by saying that the Government carries
second-class matter at one cent per pound.
The Postmaster General touches upon
the matter of the one cent per pound rate
lightly. After reciting the figures herein
before given, and stating the loss to the
Government of the carriage of news
papers and magazines at Sl6, ,573, 600, he
says: "This calculation applies to trans
portation alone. The separate cost of
distribution and delivery l will not at
tempt to estimate; but any one can see
that the items of ex penditure would swell
the list" 80 IL IS upon transportation
alone that this vast loss has occurred. As
shown, it costs nine cents per pound TO
transport second class matter, or at the
rate of Sl60 per ton. Our friends who
clamor for Government ownership of
railroads will find small consolation in
this report. Transportation of second
class matter alone costs the Government
SloO per ton for its movement.
The Postmaster-G General is very cauti
Gus In his criticism upon this item. He
says: 81 do not advocate change of
rates now on legitimate newspapers and
magazines. My purpose is TO urge the
withdrawal of the postage rates in the
large cities on the pretended periodicals
that are improperly enjoying them." The
honorable Cabinet Minister is over-cau-
tious. This species of caution is some-
times called by another name. 1t is char
acterized as timidity by charitable peo-
pIe. and as cowardice by those who are