The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-05-11
n S DEFICIT.

San Francisco Chronicle: There is
) heavy annual deficit liz the postal
service which no longer be ac-
counted for by vast areas Of unpro-
ductive territory. The great west is
filling up and the great east as well,
and the ratio OF Improbable terri
tory is getting small. Now it must
not be forgotten that even as things
are there would be no deficit if all
mail matter carried was paid for.
The postage or the free matter car
ried for the last fiscal year would
have been s9l, 822, 600, which is IRE
than the deficit OF that year. There
is no reason why this expenditure
should not be charged to the depart
3ment, covered by appropriation, and
prepaid like other matter, instead OF
saddling the entire burden on the
p~ostOfffce.
Nevertheless, there being an APP
parent deficit which the department.
does not like. there is naturally, and
very properly, a desiIe to locate the
cause With a view to its removal.
AS a matter Of fact. the cause is
clear enough, but for some reason
congressman persistently refuse to
look III Its direction. What they
talk about as the possible cause of
tIoubN Is second-class matter, which
IS carried at 81 per hundred pounds.
Second-class matter includes news
papers aud magazines when sent d.
rectly from the ONCE OF publication.
and the rate Of / cent q pound was
madeeby conrRess years ago In order
that the people might get :informa-
ton cheaply. It IS claimed that as
the cost Of mail transportation is
moro than 1 cent = pound, it is the
sceond-class matter, which causes
the deficit. The trouble with that
reasoning is 10 the premises. It is
not necessary that the cost Of carry
lng second-class matter should exceed
T1scont i pound. for we will venture
TO say that q private corporation
could and would get the mail car
Tied for that rate, at least for the
railway service. It's not, however,
necessary to assume that. There
are four classes OF mail matter, all of
which. except the second-class, carry
4 yery much higher rate, s cents a
pound heing the lowest. There
ought to be and with creditable man
agement would be, sufficient profit
on the matter carried at 8 and l6
cents per pound to far more than
make good any possible deficit on
second-class mail. IL, In fact, we as
sumo that the rate per ton per mile
paid Tor carrying the mail on rail-
ways twenty i've years ago was a fair
rate-which, BY the way, we do not
concede-it will only be necessary to
make the same reduction In mail
rates which has been made in aver
age of I'll rates for rail transport Ia
tionstol ift thu postoffice department
entirely out OF the mlre and enable
Tito show q handsome profit.
That proposition is self-evident
WeswlllSnot insult the intelligence Of
any senator or congressman by im-
plying that he does not perfectly un.
sderStand the situation. Neither,
however, are we able to explain why
this question Is never raised in con
eress or why no committee is ever
directed g investigate the ratio
witch rates paid railways for carry
I'M The malls bear 70 The rates paid
11agQlarteI OF q century ago, to those
Ivy the railroads from ex-
press companies and foreign govern
ments which have parcels post con-
tracts in this country and to other
kindssoi traffic carried by the same
roads.