Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-21
SUGGESTED POSTAL REFORMS.

|
| One of the important recommends
tons of the postmaster generals de-
| partment at Washington is a new rate
t of postage of four cents a pound Gin
stead of one cent? for all publications
now admitted to the second-ciass mail
except daily, tri- weekly, semi weekly
and weekly newspapers, in the general
~ understood sense of the word news
paper This rate is to be paid on the
bulk weight without regard to the num-
Der Of pieces, the same as is now the
case under the pound rate.
The recommendation for the rate of
4 cents q pound Is an outgrowth of the
investigation into the abuses of the sec
end-class mail privileges. Mr.. Madden
says that many of the cheaper class of
periodicals would be given away if the
law would permit The practice, it is
said. is to maintain the fiction of sub
equivalent in premium. The solution
of the whole problem, he says, is that a
new postage rate be created and APP
piled to all publications now admitted
to the second class, except daily, tri-
weekly. semi weekly and weekly news
papers, In the sense in which the word
newspaper is generally understood. Mr..
Madden, of the postoffice department,
says:
mo one will question the public BEN
eft OF genuine newspapers. and for
these an absolutely free rate might be
granted if the privilege could be prop
erly confined. But am constrained to
say that 1t is unjustifiable to longer tax
the people for any part of the cost of
distribution In the mails of any other
class of periodical publications"
Concerning the public impression
that one cent postage is probable in
the near future. Mr. Madden says it is
altogether too soon to consider a re-
duction of the letter rate of postage on
the mere basis that the reforms In Sec
ond class mail matter will save enough
to the government to compensate 1t for
the loss of revenue thru the reduction
of the letter rate. Had the proposed
four cents per pound rate and this an
tieipated rate of one cent per one-half
ounce for letters existed during the last
fiscal year." Mr.. Madden says, "the re-
suit, based upon an estimate, would
have been an aggregate estimated de-
fieiency of $4,000, 00O Thus, even I'M
der an Increase in the rate of postage
ON periodicals as recommended, 1t will
not be practicable to establish one
cent letter rate before the postal serv-
ice is thoroughly adjusted not only to
the reforms in second class mail mat
ter, but also TO the enormous expendi-
lures necessary to completely and sat
isfactorily establish the rural free de-
livery system. The postal system is
largely monopolized by publishers with
more than two thirds of the total
weight of all mail matter from which
revenue is derived, for which they pay
only about one twenty fourth of the
total postage revenue"
Mr. Madden says nearly 100000
was expended in the year on account
of experimental rural free delivery, and
that, had it not been for this large ex-
penditure, the postal service for the fis-
cal year 1902 would have been self-sus-
tanning and would have had more than
81 100000 to its credit.
This is an exceedingly good showing,
better than many anticipated, in view
of rural delivery expenditures.