The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-12-06

essary to show more clearly the bases
upon which the calculations are made:
Total postal revenue for 1901. sill, 63l.l93
add 8 per cent for estimated in
crease for year ending June ~,
1902 lo,o46,soI
Estimated revenue for 1902. $12l, I 5000
Appropriation for postal service
Estimated deficit for 1sO2......$ 2,104, 6Ss
Estimated revenue for 1S02....... III ,67S,CU
Add 8a per 1O,342,G 3O
Estimated revenue for 1909. ;. 1882, o20, $50
Estimated expenditures for 1GO3.. 1874, 1871 ,576
Estimated deficit for 19O3.....s 2,710,946
This estimate is based upon the ordi-
nary course Of operations, and without
considering the possible effect of spe-.
cial measures, the results Of which are
not yet determinable.
Second Glass Mail Abuses.
The secretary says time and expert
ence have emphasized his statements,
made in the report for 1899, concerning
second class matter. He devotes much
space to this subject, and in part says:
1t is the most urgent need, because It
aims at the one great overshadowing EVIL
Of the service, and because 1T underlies
and overtops all other reform and adj
vance. It would relieve the department
from Ilc one oppressive DuIuGll WHICH
cripples and weighs it down, and which
stands as a constant and formidable bar
rier against Improvement and progress
for the benefit of all the people in many
directions. Deeply impressed with this
conviction, the department has taken pos
Tive steps, in orders issued on July II,
1901, to correct the abuses and accom-
plish substantial reform, so far as 1t Is
possible by administrative action.
nearly 60 per cent Of the weight Of the en-
the postal revenue for the last fiscal year
was Sill GIL l93, the second class matter
paid only 81, 2s4 ,445 of that amount. That
Is. while making three-flfths Of the mail
eighth part Of the revenue. The trans
portation Of the mails is paid for chiefly
by weight. The enormous disproportion
Of return to cost in second class matter
is thus apparent at a glance. 1t is ex-
tremely conservative to say that the sec
ond class mail, which makes three-fifths
charged with one-fourth Of the cost. This
certainly UNDERSTANDS rather than over
states the truth The cost of the mails for
the last fiscal year was Sic i5S s5S 81 ,Ss 60 ome,
revenue from second class matter was
"a, 294, 445, leaving an actual net cost and
loss to the government OF $24, 594, 285.
Throwing aside all the expense of hand
ling and combining the examination to the
single item Of transportation, the result
may be more definitely stated and Is no
lcSS SlIlhlllS. - lie eALellSE VI CuIEylIlB
the mails, making the whole cost divisible
by the whole volume, mas in the past been
generally reckoned at 8 cents a pound. It
is now believed hat this figure is excess
closer analysis place the cost Of carrying
the mail as a whole at 6 cents q pound,
and, making all allowances. put the cost
on second class matter at about s cents a
pound. This figure is clearly within the
truth. The second class mail matter
which paid the pound rate amounted for
fhn lact f3orol tyya - En- 100 dhd E7O ~,,p,,t,Io AZ
5 cents a pound it cost $21, 472, 22S to carry
1t. It paid in postage 1926, 445, leaving a
net loss to the government Of $l7,277,7S3 on
transportation alone.
Essence Of Evil.
II the mail thus carried at a heavy loss
we're limited to what the law intended,
there would be nothing more to be said.
In that case it would be a deliberate and
rational public expenditure for a we'll de-
ject, and taking the service as a whole
there would be no loss at all. Our free IN
situations rest on popular intelligence,
fixed and enlightened policy to foster n
promote the general diffusion Of public
Information. Congress has wisely framed
the postal laws with this just and liberal
conception. 1t has uniformly sought to
encourage intercommunication and the
exchange of intelligence. AS facilities
all postage rates. IT has never aimed to
maket the postal service a source of profit,
but simply to make it pay Its W way
and to give the people the benefit OF all
possible advancement. In harmony with
this sound and judicious policy 1t has de-
liberately established a low rate of pos
tage for genuine newspapers and periodi-
Gals, with the express design OF encourag-
ing and aiding the distribution Of the rec
ogntzed means n agencies of public In
formation. 1t is not a matter of favor,
but of approved Judgment. It 10 not for
the publishers, blu for the people. But in
adopting this special rate for a legitimate
public end congress has sought to restrict
it's privilege to legitimate publications
with a manifest public aim and a clear
public demand. 1t never meant to open
the flood gates for an inordinate stream
Of purely private enterprises which nave
no public object whatever within the con-
temptation of the law, and which have
seized upon the low rate Of postage SOLE
" for private profit at the public expense.
In various ways thousands of pubIica-
tions have come to enjoy the privilege
which are not within either the spirit or
the letter Of the law, and the volume of
second class mail has been immensely
swollen by a vast and questionable mass
Of printed matter which was not intended
or foreseen when congress-, in the educa-
tional interest of the people, provided that
the government should practically pay the
cost Of transmission.
Must Be Ended.
1t Is morally impossible that the fragrant
abuses which have been depicted shall so
on uniE~terruptedly and INCREASINGLY. If,
with their palpable obstruction OF postal
advance for the advantage Of all the peo-