The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-01-08

peoples studied.
Second Glass Postage Rate.
Charlotto Observer.
We want all Of our people, and cs-
pccially the Senators and Represent
tativcs in Congress from North Caro-
lima, to know all the facts, direct and
collateral, bearing upon The mon
Str"us proposition Of Third Assistant
Postmaster General Madden to put
the newspapers Of the country out Of
business by increasing the rate of pos
lagc Oh them from one cent n pound
to five cents. We arc therefore copy
in" part Of II recent paper Of the cX-
rrutivc committee Of the Minnesota
Press Association:
"Thc present rate Of | cent Il pound
(%l Il hundred poundS) IS ample pay
FOR the Sccond-rlass mail. The Cana
dian rates are less than ours by one
| hair. and yet Canada has no postoffice
deficit. The Canadian rates arc as
| follows:
"Thc FIRST forty miles, free.
"Thr first 900 miles. Il quarter OF Il
cent pound.
"Nvrr :!O0 miles, including all over
Canada and the United States and the
entire postal union count rirS. half Il
cent Il pound.
CAS- Canada ~ivcs these rates and
yet has no deficit, why does the Unit
ct States have deficit with double
the Canadian ratcs9"
Assistant Postmaster General
Maiden declares that publishers, are
subsidized because they pay the gov
rrnmcnt "nly one cent pountl, where
as the government pays for the mere
railroad haul on sccond-class mail five
cents pound, besides two cents more
for 'diStribution..'
"lf so. who is subsidized, in view
Of the fact that express companies
solicit the business Of hauling second
class mail at the following rates:
Gone hundred miles ut quarter Of
II cent.
"Two hundred and fifty miles at
half Il cent.
"f'ivc hundred miles at one cent.
"Thcsc are the general express
rates. and as express companies are
private business enterprises they
maize profit at these rates after pay
ing the railr"ah companies.
"'Thc average distance that second
class mail is hauled is less than 300
miles: hence at express rates the aver
a:;c cost Of the railroad haul is only
one half cent II pound.
"Why, then, should the government
pay the railroad five cents for idcn-
tically the same service that the same
railroads give to express companies
at half cent? Why should the gov
crnmcnt pay ten times as much as a
private corporation pays9
"But in some eases even the above
express rates are beaten. The Ameri-
can News Company gets newspapers
, and magazines hauled by express
from New York to Boston at fifth
of cent pound!
"Yct the Third Assistant Postmas,
, ter General, Mr.. Madden, says pub.
fishers are recipients Of subsidy be.
cause they pay the government only
five times as much per pound as the
American News Company pays an ex.
press company"
This is conclusive. We do not be-
licvc that even with all the rubbish
that the Postoflice Department adj
mits to the mails as sccond-class mat
ter, which rubbish should be outlawe(
or be made to pay far higher rat'
OF postage, the government loses mon
cy in the transportation of secont
lass mail matter. If Sc, how doe!
the Canadian government make none,
carrying it at much lower rate, ant
Why do the express companies seek th'
business at much lower rate thar
that at which it is transported through
the mails. If the government is pay
ing the railroads more For carrying
, the mails than the service is worth
and it is-that is no reason why til,
y newspapers should be punished.
A thoughtful consideration Of tn
, facts above presented, by our Sena
tors and Representatives, is respect