Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-08
SECOND CLASS MAIL NATTER
Suggested That Magazines and Pc.
riodicals Pay More Postage.

The deficit every year in the post
Office department Is largely caused by
the low rate Of postage Of l cent
pound charged on second class mail
matter. which includes not only news
papers. but magazines and mlscella-
neous periodicals. The actual loss grow
ing out of tho transmission Of this
second class mail matter at cent 4
pound amounts to about $63.O00.0O0 q
year. The average cost Of the trans
portation Of this matter is more than
8 cents 4 pound.
1t appears that the average distance
over which newspapers are delivered
to their customers is POI miles, while
the average haul Of magazines is
1,O49 and Of miscellaneous periodicals
1928 miles. Thus the average haul
Of the magazine Is three and one-half
times and that Of the miscellaneous
periodical nearly four times the haul
of the daily newspaper. yet all Of
them pay the same postage rate Of 1
cent a pound. The statistics Of 1907
show that second class mail matter
constituted 1891 per cent of the
weight Of all the mail and yielded
only 5.19 per cent of the revenue.
The figures given are startling and
show the payment by the government
OF an enormous subsidy to the news
papers, magazines and periodicals, and
congress may we'll consider whether
radical steps should not be taken to
reduce the deficit in the postoffice de-
partment caused by this discrepancy
between the actual cost Of transporta-
ton and the compensation exacted
therefor.
A great saving might be made.
amounting to much more than half OF
the loss, by imposing upon magazines
and periodicals higher rate of post
age. They are much heavier than
newspapers and contain much high
er proportion Of advertising to reading
matter. and the average distance of
their transportation is three and a
half times as great.
The total deficit for the last fiscal
year In the postottice department
amounted to S17.5OO,OOO. The branches
OF it's business which 1t did at q loss
were the second class mail service, In
which the loss. as already said, was
sos, 100000. and the free rural delivery,
in which the loss was $2S,0OO,0 600.
These losses were In part offset by tho
profits Of letter postage and other
sources Of income. 1t would seem
wise to reduce the loss upon second
class mail matter. at least to the ex-
g tent Of preventing a deficit in the total
operations of the postottice.
z. commend the whole subject to coz
gress. not unmindful Of the spread Of
intelligence which low charge tor
carrying newspapers and periodicals
assists. 4 very much doubt, however,
the wisdom OF policy which 1consti-
tutes SO large subsidy and requires
additional taxation to meet It.
I J .,5. Postal Savings Banks. s.-
! The second subject worthy OF mem
tiOn in the posfofice department u
the real necessity and entire practices
bilsty Of establishing postal savings
banks. The successful party at the
4 last election declared In favor OF postal
savings banks. and, although the prop
osition finds opponents IN many parts
Of the country. l am convinced that
the people desire such banks and am
sure that when the banks are fur
nished they will be productive OF the
utmost good. The postal savings banks
are not constituted for the purpose OF
creating competition with other banks.
The rate Of interest upon deposits to
which they would be limited would be
20 small as to prevent their drawing
deposits away from other banks. IL 1
believe them to be necessary IN or