The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-03
BLAME PLACED
BY PUBLISHERS
Brief Filed With Postal Com
mission on Second Class
Mail Matter.
NEWSPAPERS PAY ENOUGH
DEFICIT CAUSED BY OTHER
PUBLICATIONS.

New York, Oct. 2.-Important changes
In the laws governing the handling of
second-ciass mail matter were recon-
mended in a statement by John NJ.
Hubbard, assistant postmaster Of Chi
cago, which was read today by the
postal commission which is investigat-
ing that subject in this city. Mr.. Hub
bard recommended:
That second-class mail matter be
made self-sustaining.
That a law obliging bulk matter to
be carried outside of the mails would
so long way toward solving the prob
lem.
THAT if these two propositions are
rejected, the charges on bulk packa ses
he increased TO 2 cents a pound to news
agents and dealers, and to 3 cents a
pound To subscribers. advertisers and
exchanges.
The abolition OF the sample copy
privileges, the transient rate of postage
and the compulsory routing of second
class matter by publishers.
Stringent Law Advocated.
The passage of a stringent law to
punish violators of the law"
Mr.. Hubbard's statement argued that
seH sustaining rate would remove the
rehcit i'm the postoffice department, en-
able congress TO increase the pay Of
deserving employees, cheaper the cost
OF administering the department and
make the press Independent of the de-
partment.
mails. the statement declared, would
result in immense saving to he DEPART
ment. and ii is thought that the pub
fishers can make better terms with the
transportation companies than with the
department.
1t was said that the cost of handling
unrouted mail is 81 cents a hundred
and of routed mail cents a hundred
Brief of Newspaper Publishers.
John Norris. business manager of the
New York Times. appeared before the
commission i'm behalf of The American
Newspaper Publishers association. and
read brief in defense Of the daily
newspaper
The brief is designed to show that the
legitimate daily newspapers are not the
cause of the deficit and consequently
are entitled to a continuance of the pre-
Vailing rate. 1t is asserted that while
the government itself has TO pay more
than 10 cents to carry the 1O-cent mag
azine from the publishing office TO the
news stand and subscriber, it derives a
profit from the carrying of the daily
newspaper. 1t is declared that the news
papers have been improperly included
in sweeping assertions that all those
entitled to the second-class mailing
privilege enjoy a gratuity and subsidy
from the government The brief points
out that the recent deficits in postal
revenues were anticipated by Post
master Generals Smith and Payne be-
cause OF the number of the rural free
delivery systems and that the deficit
need not be viewed with apprehension.
Carried at Profit.
The belief is expressed that the
transportation of newspapers at 1 cent
per pound is profitable, inaslnuch as
express and railroad, companies fird
profit In carrying newspapers and ether
articles at rates varying from a quar-
ter Of a cent pound to l cent a pound.
giving more and better service for the
money and carrying long distances at
the cent a pound rate.
The brief asserts that the situation
as TO postal deficits is not so bad as
appears at first glance. The country is
growing with amazing rapidity. The
revenues of each year are always more
than enough to pay the expenses of
the previous year. so that an end can
be put TO deficits if a stop is put to the
increase in expenditures. Comparing
the United States postal service to that
OF Great Britain. it is shown that Eng
land pays SAL to the mile for trans
porting mail. whereas the United States
pays but 1896. Yet Great Britain made
a profit Of $4,000. 900 a year, mainly due
10 the short haul and the dense popu-
lation.
The brief states that the second-class
rate should be limited to the dissemina-
ton of public information and its en-
pioyment primarily for mercantile pur-
poses should be stopped.
AfsIthOid ropffncS lasts 4 nfattrns