The daily sentinel., 1909-12-07

by the short time in which they may
remain effective.
rust and Interstate Commerce
Laws.
The jurisdiction of the general
government over interstate commerce
mas led to the passage of the So
called Sherman antitrust law and
the interstate commerce law and its
amendments. The deevlopments in
the operation of these laws, as shown
by indictments, trials, judicial decis
ions, and other sources of informa-
ton, call for a discussion and some
suggestions as to amendments. These
prefer to embody in a special mes
sage instead of including them in the
present communication and | shall
avail mystef of the first convenient
opportunity to bring these subjects to
the attention of congress.
Jail of the District of CoIumbjo
My predecessor transmitted to the
congress special message on Jan
uary IL, 1903, accompanying the re-
port of commissioners Heretofore
appointed to investigate the jail.
workhouse. etc, in the District of
Colum bia, in which he directed at
tentlon TO the report as setting forth
vlVldly, the really outrageous con-
dltlons In the workhouse and jail.'
Ihe congress has taken action in
pursuance of the recommendations OF
that report and of the president 10
the extent of appropriating funds and
enacting the necessary legislation for
the establishment OF workhouse
and reformatory. No action however
mas been taken by the congress with
respect TO the jail, the conditions of
"hlch are still antiquated. ! earn
estiy recommend the passage of a
suiflclent appropriation to enable a
thorough remodeling of that institu-
tion to be made without delay. II ia
reproach to the national govern
ment that ap 1st under the shadow
OF the capt. dome prisoners should
De confined III building destitute of
the ordinary decent appliances req
uisite to cleanliness and sanitary
conditions.
second-Class Mail Matter.-Postossjc.
Department.
The deficit every year in the post-
office department is largely caused
by the low rate of postage of | cent a
pound charged on second class mail
matter, which includes not only news
papers but magazines and miscellap-
eous periodicals. The actual loss
growing out of the transmission of
this second class mail matter at one
cent a pound amounts to about $63,-
100000 year. The average cost
for transportation of this matter is
more than nine cents pound.
1t appears that the average dis
tance over which newspapers are de-
livered to their customers is 291
mlles, while the average haul of
magazines is 1,049, and of miscel-
laneous periodicals 1,12S 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 news-
paper, yet all of them pay the same
postage rate of one cent pound. The
statistics of 1907 show that second
class mail matter constituted 63.s1
per cent of the weight of all the
mail, and yielded only 5.19 per cent
of the revenue
The figures given are startling.
ana snow the payment by the govern
ment OF an enormous subsidy to the
newspapers, magazines and period
icals, and congress may we'll consider
whether radical steps should not be
taken to reduce the deficit in the
postoffice department caused by this
discrepancy between the actual cost
of transportation and the compensa-
tion exacted therefor
"A great saving might be made >
amounting to much more than half
of the loss, by imposing upon maga-
zines and periodicals higher rate of !.
postage. They are much heavier thani
newspapers, and contain a much high
er proportion of advertising to read
ing matter, and the average distances
of their transportation is three and
half times as great.
THE total deficit for the last fiscal