, 1901-01-17
POSTAL CHANGES
COMMISSION MAKES A REPORT
ON NEEDS OF THE
SERVICE.
No Reduction in Postage Rates to be
Made at the Present Time Because
the Financial Condition Of the
P~ostoffice Department Will Not
Justify it-Pneumatic Tube Con.
demned.

haustive inquiry into the entire posta
system of the country, a commission
consisting of members of the senate
and house, has made a report, which
is extremely interesting, inasmuch as
several important recommendation
compensation paid railroad companies
for the transportation of mails is not
excessive and recommends that no re
duction be made, but that the laws or
this subject be consolidated.
In order to wipe out the deficit in
postal receipts, which is alleged to be
caused by the admission in mails at
s%econd-class rate books, newspapers
and other bulky printed matter, the
shall be excluded from second-class
matter books and reprints, all sample
copies beyond a fixed proportion of sub.
scription list, and all unsold newspa,
pers of news agents to other news
agents.
The commission recommends that
the letter rate Of postage be not reduc'
ed to n cent at this time, as this &C,
ton would cause a tremendous deficit
in the postal receipts. 1t also recon-.
mends the abolition of the pneumatic
tube system on the expiration of the
contract now existing, and which ex.
pires by Limitation in June.
One recommendation which will be
of particular interest to small mer.
chants is that the government does
rot establish a domestic parcels post.
Still another is that there shall be no
reduction in the price paid for railway
postal car service as long as the pres.
ent demand exists, and that the gov
eminent shall not maintain a system of
this kind OF its own.
In referring to the compensation paid
railroad companies for the transmits.
sion Of mails, the commission says:
1--WE are Of the opinion LAT the prices
now paid 10 railroad companies for the
transportation of mails are not exces.
sive, and we recommend that no reduc.
ton be made at this time"
s~econd.CIass Mail.
In dealing with the second-class
mail problem, the commission says:
we do not propose a remedy which
will ex%tinguish, but will only lessen the
losses incurred in the transmission of
second-class matter. 1t is too late to
reverse the policy established for many
years by congress, of transmitting
newspapers in the mails at a nominal
price, nor have We any disposition to
do so.
I'VE earnestly recommend, howev-
err, legislation which will accomplish
the exclusion from the s~econd-class
matter, first, of all books or reprints of
books, whether bound or unbound, and
however they may be sold; second, all
sample copies beyond a small fixed pro-
portion Of the subscription list; third,
of unsold newspapers or by news
agents to other news agents.
THE first suggestion places all
books upon an equality, the second
eliminates a certain class of publica-
lions called newspapers whose princi-
pal circulation consists Of sample cop
les, and the third destroys the prac-
tice p%reaviling under a doubtful con-
struction Of the law, which permits a
news agent to transmit as second-class
matter unsold publications to another
news agent, although he cannot trans
NIT them to a publisher. Here no &C.
casion for speed exists, and this char
acter of matter will be RENTED to the
slower and cheaper transportation by
freight and express"
Reduction Of Letter Postage.
On the question of reducing the let
ter postage rate to one cent, and that
Of establishing a domestic parcel post,
the commission says:
1.-TWO other questions touching the
rate Of postage have been discussed
before the commission, and are more
fully before the tribunal of public opin-
ion. These questions are, the reduc-
ton of letter postage to n cent and
the establishment Of a parcel post. We
are not ready to recommend either OF
these bills for reasons which are ap-
parent from the reading of our report.
While the frst-class mail bears far
more than its share Of the postal ex.
penses and returns a large profit to
the government, 1t IL obvious that jus.
tice to the first-class mail must follow
and not precere the correction of pres.
ent unjust preference to second-class
mail unless we are willing to increase
to An alarming extent the deficit of the
postal department.
The failure Of congress up to the
present time to deal with the second.
class rates upon a business basis az
fords also signal warning against ex
tending the postal service BY the es
t%ablishment of a parcel post. We
therefore, do not enter upon further
discussion Of this question in consider
alton Of arguments which may be made
upon this subject.
Adjustment Of Pneumatic Tube.