Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-12-05


portation of the mails is paid for
chiefly by weight The enormous dis
proportion of return to cost in second
class matter is thus apparent at a
glance.
It is difficult to determine accurate,
| Iy the exact ratio which the cost OF
handling and carrying the second
class mail bears to the aggregate cost
of handling and carrying all the mail.
Though three-ffths in weight, it mani
testify could not be fairly charged
with the same proportionate share OF
the cost. A considerable portion of it
is handled in bulk. On the other side,
the cost in time, space and labor IL
handling individual pieces of second
class mail is greater than that Of the
frst-class. To reach the best at
tainable estimate, superintendent of
the railway mail service and 80 post
masters of representative cities,
were asked to give their judgment,
based upon the practical work of
their respective branches, as to what
proportion Of their total expense is
justly chargeable to. second-class mat
ter The railway mail service
answered 50 per cent. The answers
of the postmasters range from 10 per
cent. to 40 per cent, though most Of
them vary but little from 20 per
cent. Taken altogether, the average
is 20 per cent, and this may be &C
cepted as the substantially correct
ratio. But this is the relative cost
only in the post-offices. 1t takes no
account Of transportation. In that
branch weight is the decisive tenn.
Including this service with the other
estimate, it is extremely conservative
to say that the secOnd-class mail,
which makes three-ffths Of the weight
of the mails, may fairly be charged
declares Mr.. Smith, certainly under
states rather than overstates the
truth The cost of the mails for the
last fiscal year was $115, ,920. One
fourth of that amount is $28,888, 730.
The revenue from second-class matter
was $4,294,445, leaving an actual net
cost and loss to the government of
s24,594,2S5.
Throwing aside all the expense of
handling and combining the examina-
ton to the single item of trasporta-
ton, the result may be more definitely
stated and is no less striking. The
expense of carrying the mails, making
the whole cost Invisible by the
whole volume, has in the past been
generally reckoned at cents a pound
1t is now believed that this figure is
excessive. A more accurate weighing
and a closer analysis place the cost of
carrying the mail as whole at G
cents pound, and, making all allow,
ances, put the cost on secondclass
matter at about cents a pound
| This figure is clearly within the
| truth. The second-class mail mat
ter which paid the pound rate
amounted for the last fiscal year to
429, 444,573 pounds. At 5 cents a
pound it cost s21 .472,22s to carry it
1t paid in postage S4,294, 445, leaving
net loss to the government Of ST.
| 277,783 on transportation alone,
If the mail thus carried at heavy
| loss were limited to what the law in.
| tended, there would be nothing more
| to be said. In that case it would be
| deliberate and rational public eX.
penditure for well-defned, justifiable
and worthy public object, and taking
| the service as a whole there would
| be no loss at all. Our free institu
lions rest on popular intelligence
and it has from the beginning been
our fixed and enlightened policy tC
! foster and promote the general diff
| fusion of public information. Con
gress has wisely framed the postal
laws with this just and liberal con
eeption 1t has uniformly sought tC
encourage intercommunication and
the exchange of intelligence. AS
facilities have cheapened it has gradu
ally lowered all postage rates, 1t has
never aimed to make the postal serv
ice a source of profit, but simply tt
make it pay it's own way and to give
| the people the benefit of all possible
| advancement. In harmony with this
sound and judicious policy it has de
! liberate1y established a low rate O.
postage for general newspapers an(
periodicals, with the express design
of encouraging and aiding the distri
button of the recognized means an6
agencies of public information. L
is not a matter of favor, but of ap
proved judgment. 1t is not for the
publishers, but for the people. Bu
in adopting this special rate for {
legitimate public end congress has
sought to restrict it's privilege tt
legitimate publications with mani
fest public aim and clear public
demand. 1t never meant to open the
food gates for an inordinate stream
of purely private enterprises which
have no public object whatever with
in the contemplation of the law, ant
which have seized upon the low rate
of postage solely for private profit a.
] the public expense.
intent of the Law.
The intent Of the law, continues Mr.
Smith. is clear from its terms.
seeks to define boundaries and tt
prescribe conditions which shall
limit the privilege to the kind of pub
LEGATIONS really designed to be in
cluded. First of all, it provides tha
to be entitled to the second-class
rate the publication must be "origi
mated and published for the dissent
nation of in form alton Of A