Evening star., 1901-11-28

the manufacture Of the kind of papers and
terms Of the % law '1 costs SITS u Very little % Tae @
chief items are white paper and distribu-
ton. In 1885 the postage rate on second
class matter was reduced from cents
pound to cent. The price of white paper
at that time was nearly cents a pound.
Since then 1t has gradually declined to
cents pound or less, and with this great
and concurrent reduction in the cost both
of raw material and distribution, there is
a direct and immense premium On these
fllegftimate outgrowths.
THE result is the upspringing of thou
sands of so-called periodicals which are
established primarily for advertising pur-
poses. They have few or no legitimate
subscribers; they make up lists either by
procuring names and sending the papers .
to them for nothing, or by Offering pre-
m-ums substantially equal in value to the
SUBSCRIPTION price, and so circulate at a
law at every point. They obtain adver-
tising on the basis of this illegitimate cir
culatlon, and 1t makes a profitable busi-
ness, for the chief cost to the publisher
is the white paper, and the chief expens
of the undertaking falls on the govern
ment.'
Mr.. Smith gives an example of the abuse
of the law. He states:
There is a single periodical of which
copies sent through the mails for the quar-
ter ending March 80, 1901, averaged 223 6SS
pounds for each issue, or about 112 tons. or
nearly eight carloads, reckoning the weight
OF carload of paper at $4,000 pounds For
transporting each issue of that periodical
the government actually paid $11, ,1S4. 49,
against which it collected So 236 So in post
age; 1t also paid $4,473 for handling. max
ing direct net loss to the government on
every issue of $13,421. AS compared with
this cash gift by the government, the pub
hshers besides the postage, paid about
$4,473 for the white paper and, as shown
by an expert reckoning, $127. 16 for compo-
sition, all these items together amounting
| to $6,S37. There Is net a well-informed
publisher in the country who would not
say that $500 was an extremely liberal al
lowance for all other expenses, making q
total cost to the publishers of $7,337, as
against net cost to the government of
$13,431; so that the government contrib
uted about $6,0S4 more on every issue to
the expense of running that publication
than the publishers themselves contrib
uted."
Effort to Correct Abuses.
The Postmaster General continues:
ITO correct the various abuses thus indi-
Gated, the department has undertaken a
more strict application of the law, through
three orders directed to the several objects
which have been described and the SUBJ
Ject is treated somewhat at length because
1t is felt that the reasons for it's action
should be clearly understood. The full re-
suits of the reform will not be realized at
once. 1t is first necessary to enforce the
lawful classification, which is a work of
some time. This will either relieve the mails
postal force, both in the post office and on
the railroads, will also be measurably re-
lieved of the excessive strain now placed
upon it, and if it cannot be diminished it
will at least gain more freedom for better
service in other directions, and the con-
stant and urgent pressure for an increase
In order to keep pace with the heavy de-
mands will be lessened. The cost which
the abuses have entailed on the government
can be approximately calculated as given
above, but the saving depends on the de-
of 1rhr r-tfl |, ,i11,% I,
form can be executed, and cannot be ac-
curately estimated. 1t will, however, when
fully realized, amount to several million
dollars year, and will not only make the
service self-sustaining but permit import
ant advances on other lines"
Rural Free Delivery
Much attention is given to rural free de-
livery. The Postmaster General takes up
each branch of the department service and
gives a complete review Of it's workings
The report shows that the population Of the
territory now covered by rural free delivery
service is about 1000, 600. and it is esti-
mated that by the end Of the fiscal year
this number will be increased to 5 200 OO0
The entire area suited to the service is es-
timated at 100000 square miles, with an
estimated population of 81 10000 rural resi-
dents all of which, it is expected will be
brought within the scope of the service
within the next four years. carefully
prepared statement as to the financial con-
uitlOH Oh llllS DTdHCN OF the postal service
shows that wherever rural free delivery
has been established the net gain in reve-
nue. has risen to or 10 per cent
The application of civil service rules to
the service is indorsed and the question Of
the selection Of carriers discussed at length
Other Topics.
The suppression, Of fraud. Cuba, the Phil
ippines, ocean mail service and the pneu-
matte tube service are all discussed and
dismissed with a paragraph each. The
suppression of fraud is treated more at
length than any Of the other subjects spe-
cial stress being laid on the fact that |
strenuous efforts are made by the depart |
ment to uproot the money makers who use |
the mails for the publication of their |
schemes.