St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-23
POSTAL REFORMS NEEDED.


The committee appointed by the ma
ticnal board of trade have published
a pamphlet in support Of the move
ment inaugurated some time ago and
supported by that body, having for its
purpose the reduction of letter postage
to one cent. Early in the movement it
was found that the chief obstacle was
the yearly deficit in the postal depart
ment, which would be increased by any
such reduction in what is the chief
source of the revenues Of the Office.
While prior reductions have been fol-
lowed by increase of revenue, it was
feared that a reduction now of so per
cent would not be followed by such an
increase as would make up the loss, and
the consequence would be an unpleas-
ant increase in the usual deficiency.
Besides this there was not, outside of
the large business houses that use the
mails freely, a feeling that the present
rate is onerous and there was no popu-
lar response to the movement.
ever, have not yielded effort. and that
they have been studying the problem
and the difficulties it presents is shown
by the contents of the pamphlet re-
ferred to. Inquiry naturally led to in
vestigation of income and it's sources,
and of expense and it's sources. 1t was
found that the government received for
the carriage Of letters four times the
cost Of carriage; or, to be exact in 1890,
the letter revenue was $3S, 100000, while
the cost of carriage and distribution
was but $S,OOO,000. profit Of 375 per
cent. Where, then, was the deficit caus-
ed? This was found in that heteroge-
neous mass of matter carried in the
mails under the division known as sec
ond-class matter This includes not
only the regular daily and weekly news
papers, but embraces trade journals,
fraternal papers and periodicals that
are mere advertising mediums for their
publishers. 1t carries at the rate of
one pound for a cent cheap novels if
they are issued periodically; and, in
fact, all that is required to have the
government carry practically free any
kind of publication is to have 1t give
small list of subscribers and a regular
publication. The result Of this is that
in 1895, the postmaster general reports
that 312, 000, 900 pounds, about two-thirds
the receipts were $22,917, 621.14 less than
the amount paid for it's transportation
Instead of a profit of 375 per cent there
was loss on this matter of STU per
cent. The committee ask the pertinent
question why the letter writers should
pay the government 375 per cent profit
for handling their letters while it car
ries this other matter for STU per cent
less than actual cost?
| The pamphlet, in order to demon
strate how the mail privileges are abus-
ed, contains a table giving the follow
ing data regarding twelve of the lead
ing magazines of the country, such as
the Century, Cosmopolitan, Harper's,
Review Of Reviews and others of
this grade. The total of one months
issue of these twelve contain
ed 2,174 pages; of which 1876 were
given to advertising, and 1878 to read
1 ing matter. The advertising rate for
one page in all the twelve was $13,775,
and the estimated receipts of the twelve
| from this source were $3.50, SOL The
claimed number of copies issued was
4,526,000, with a total weight of 2,462, 55S
pounds. Their yearly weight is estimat-
ed at 23,639,9S9 pounds; which, at Sec
ond-class rates would furnish a revenue
Of 1926, 999.S9; the estimated cost of car
riage to the government is 81, S91, 1879, in
volving a dead loss to the department
of $1,654, 1928. This renders it plain
where the $9,00O,O0 deficit last year
came from.
The committee therefore ask that Sec
ond, third and fourth class matter be
merged in one and be charged with the
actual cost of carriage. and assert tina.
the saving will be sufficient to justify
a one-cent rate on letters. We are no.