The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-10
ESTIMATED COST OF
COMPLETED SYSTEM.

1t appears that rural free delivery can
ne extended practically over The whole
country AT an annual cost of less than
sli.ooo.or As the appropriation Tor the cur
rent nstll year FOR this purpose is Sl.I'".Hrh.
an additional outlay Of Sle.v0,ubp unless un-
tores en- demands should come, would sub
statialy take the mail every day to every
door in the land. This assumes that the
cost shall not exceed the present rate. If
carrier service can be maintained at the
existing compensation. it assures this liini-
tation. With rigorous restraint the eXpendi-
lures In This particular Srvice can br re
stricted to III" fixed boundaries. while thu
revenues will steadily advance. Il will
hardly be disputed that the great result ~
carrying the post office to every home. If
II can he accomplished AT such c0mpira-
undertaking.
This duty is emphasized and enforced
when We consider some other phases of the
postal question. In my last annual report
it was shown that If a class Of publications.
which now. under an evasion of the pur-
pose OF the law. pay the S.ronl-ClaSS-rl
of postage. were really made to pay the
third-claSS rate. as they ought To do. il
would bring an additional r-v'mu" - tho
G"vernment of sl2.%EGi2. This amount is
lost through an abuse that can hp and
ought 10 he rectified. II l. u public con-
tribution without any public advantage
for the sole benefit of a few private inter
ests The cost to the Government of this
abuse is almost exactly equivalent to the
estimated cost of broad national rural free
delivery. and il Il is a question between IA
VorinS a very limited number uf publish
.is, and faxoring twenty-"n" n iIi..... o.
people who live on the farms nf tn. [ life |
States there ought to br r,, hesitation in
serving the many rather than the Nv
!. IN" abuse shou.c h- urr"ujed as q pub
lie duty; the natIr..I 80 very service
should be undertake! gag r tIlI.c puIirv.
and "h-E through "a. plr.Ih.... IL thr
wrong III" right car .r- '.'rhl sci without
thr SiirEtt.', al ..i.s.ta ,.tfG.,. tn. appeal
h. comes irr-SiSjii-..
The approp.i-.ts - Sf.:,t.p," for the
fiscal year b'c-, 49, July /. 1900 will h.
tl,If fl1stf IT..
ana established durin. tho year will con-
>"ine its amount 1t is estimated that Ia
maintain during the ensuing year the serv-
lie in operation a; the end of the current
ar Will require Sa.Jara For new srryir,.
not less than 100000 should he allowed
II ls. therefore. recommended that the ap-
propriation for rural free delivery for the
than $3.5oo.0"0
All SEES IN SECOND
CLASS MAIL NATTER.
-. IN my last annual report | pointed ont
the naErant abuses which prevail in con-
ne Tection Win Sec"nd-class matter. and urged
tne lfnpoftincH OF remedial legislation. As
aired"y Indicated. this obligation ts ON
pnasiZed by the broad policy Just develap-
ing Of extending rtIra! delivery throuyh"nr,
the country. the whole net cost of Whicb
could be paid by what would be savcJ ~,
stopping the SecondIclass abuses The sub
Ject IS one which should not he permItted
plished. " '''H'-
There should ba no abatement Of tho
protest or effort against the perpetu,tinn
OF evils which have insidiouslv grown ,,n
ihrou.h tn" Ingenious perversion of th.
law intent in furthcrinS private intcrests.
ana winch have now become n heavy rul-
lie hurGon. Their elimination. while ing
no injustice in any quarter would effect I,
saving ranging from sl2.0oo000 to s20p,i n..,
year. and would relieve the wav for L.
ton.
The measure OF reform naturally on
no CT
tied special interests the expenses of whose
private business Is now largely paid by tins,
Government instead of by themselves But
this antagOuism alone is not ennuch 10 de-
feat 1t. There is opposition OF n different
character. which rests on a misconcentiCn
and which ought to be removed. IT il
founded % on fear that the proposed act is
aimed In part at some legitimate putli-
cations Of thu second class and that its en-
actment would deprive them cf the priv
ilegeS which the existing law intends they
should possess. This is a complete msap
prehension. II is not sought to change the
policy Of the present law or To abridge the
privileges Il confers upon regular ana Ie-
gitimate publications for the dissemination
of public intelligence.
TT is only sought TO cut off the abuses
which the law never contemplated and
which have crcpt in through the ambiguity
Of its provisions or through doubtful inter
pretations that have opened wide door
for wrongful entries. 1t is aimed at the
serial paper-cnvered books. at the private
"house organs" at the spurious trade iour-
Eals. and sheets of an exclusive advertising
character. at bulk distribution which is
falsely called subscription. and at the re
Ieated turn and overturn by news agents of
unsold periodicals.
''There is no objection TO serving these
purely private enterprises through the
mails. but there Is 10 reason why the Gov
ernment should carry them AT the second
class rate of a cent a pound. involving a
dead loss 10 ii of millions Of dollars n wear
when other articles of the same kind right
fully pay the third-class rate of cents a