Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-28
elements Of the immense public. which
makes use Of Il"
Reduction of Compensation.

Reduction Of Compensation.
The commission recommends .xhe echem
OF progressive reduction OF compensatios
for mail carried IN excess Of 5000 pound
Per day. with q weight In excess OF 5000
pounds. It leaves untouched the present
rate Of $171 for the daily average weight Of
1900 pounds for the reason that we do moi
believe that density OF that degree only
permits sufficient economies tn the meth.
compensation. Where the. daily weight
however. is; In excess Of 1000 pounds we
think that the economies above mentioned
are now possible and can be increasingly
we recommend 10, therefore, progressive
beginning with q 8 per cent reduction be-
tween 5000 pounds and $4,000 pounds and
increasing to 10 per cent between $1,000
and $1,000 pounds and thereafter at the
reduced rate OF SIS per ton per mile pei
annum. carried instead Of the present rate
OF A.S7. In our Judgment $1,000 pounds
may De safely taken as the point where
practically constant. In other words. in
crease In the mail handled simply means
duplication OF traffic. and the next $4,000
pounds can not be carried any more cheap
mated by the officials Of the railway mail
service that the total decrease in compen-
sation effected by the reduction above rec
commended Will be, for the first year, 1908,
SRPAO~AAAAoSSAy <osoVVsVVW
Defects In Second Glass Rates.
The commission points out that there sra
-FOUR cardinal defects In the present system
OF charges for second-class matter az fol-
lows:
THE difference between the second-class
rate and the next higher rate, the third
class rate. is too great In other words the
second-class rate Is relatively too low.
diQu1Ynifar anr ,orfn aof7
for the same rate. Substantially similar
services are charged different rates. The
second-class rate Is probably too low, abso-
-lutely speaking
Concerning the first defect the commission
says: 1.-THE mere fact that the next higher
rate. that for printed matter, Is 800 per cent
greater than the periodical rate creates an
almost irresistible temptation to give all
mense quantities Of printed matter are put
up In periodical form, not because that
form Is either essential or proper to 1t, but
for the bald purpose OF accomplishing its
distribution at the cent q pound rate
1t is pointed out that this abnormal dis
proportion does not exist outside of the
United States anu Canada. The report then
discusses the other defects.
AS remedy for the disparity between the
receipts and the cost in connection with the
transportation of mail, the commission sug-
gests that the practice no longer continue
Of charging on q losing basis the same rate
LUZ wholly UlSSlHlldT Services, III OInSE
words it says to classify the rates accord
ing to the service. In this connection 1t Is
suggested that the increment Of postage for
the increment Of weight above the first four
ounces should be one-half cent for each adj
ditiOnal four ounces.
The commission holds with regard to fic-
ton matter that the classification which
puts complete novel in one class and q
novel published serially in another class. Ia
q false classification. With regard to
newspapers the commission maintains that
the prime defect in the statute defining
what constitute a newspaper Is that the
purpose described Is SO broad as to include
everything and exclude nothing. with the
exception OF q few instances it says,
where the publication has oeen excluded
because the information was deemed not
to be public, no periodical has ever been
classified by the application Of tests Of this
kind. Any attempt to apply them generally
would simply end In a press censorship"
While admitting that Its recommends
tons do not afford complete and final
solution Of the problem. the commission Is
Of the opinion that the changes recon-
mended will accomplish everything that has
been claimed for them; that they are ex-
ceedingly conservative, and may be put into
operation without disturbing to any con-
siderable degree. the important interests
concerned