The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-08
POSTOFFICE DEPART MENT.
Sccond-CInss Mail Matter.

SccOud-t lass WAL NattcT.
The deficit eVSry wear IN the POST
Office Deps rrment is largely caused by
the low rate Of postage Of cent n
mound charged on scCond-class mail
matter. which includes not only news
papers but magazines and miscella ne
GUS periodicals. The actual loss grow
Ing out Of the transmission OF this sec.
ond-class mail matter at J cent pound
amounts 10 about S63 .0oo. 900 a year.
The average cost OF the transportation
Of this matter is more than 3 cents
pound.
1t appears that the averagc distance
over which newspapers are delivered 20
their customers is 29l miles. while the
average haul of magazines Is l.Oie. and
Of miscellaneous periodicals l.l-s nlil's'
Thus, the average haul of The maya :
zinc l. tlrce aud onc-half times and
that OF tho miscellaneous periodicai
nearly four times the haul OF IN" daliy
ncwspapet, yet all OF them pay me
same postage rate OF cent pound
The statistics of 1907 show that second
class mail matter constituted 63.sl per
cent OF the weight OF all the man, ana
ricld"d only 5.ls per cent or the rove
rue.
Tho dsyres given arc startling, and
shaw the payment by the government
~ an enormous subsidy TO tho news
papnrS. magazines and periodicals, ana
congress may well consider whether
radical steps should not h" taken 10
reduce -thr- drffrit IN tire Postofhce de-
paffm"nt caused by this discrepancy
between che actual cost of transporta- :
tion aud the compensation eAacted
ia, refor
great saving might be made;
amounting To- much more than halt OF
tho loss. hi imposing upon maEaZin'
aud periodicals g higher rat" OF post
ag". Ther are much heavier than news
papers, und contain a much higner pro
portion % advortising 10 rcadinS mat :
ter. and Che average distance or their
transportation Is three and half times
as great.
wear In tn. Postofticc Department
amounted 60 Sli.5oo.00o. Tho branches
or its business which IL did at loss
were tue second class mail service. II
which the loss - already said was Soj,-
ooJ, 900 aud the free rural delivery, IN
which the loss WAS S2s,OoO.O 900 These
lnss"s were IN part Offset bN tho pronts
OF to letter postage and other sources
Of income 1t would seem wise To re
durr to" loss upon second-class man
matter az lenst TO the extent OF pre-
venting a deficit In tie total operations
of the postoffice
commend the whole subject 10 con
gross not unmindful OF the spread OF
intelligence which low charge FOR
carrying newspapers and periodicals
assists. very much doubt. howevcr,
the wisdom OF policy which consti-
tutcS So large subsidy ana requires
"ldttioual taxation TO meet II.
POSTAL SAVINGS HANKS.
rho SECOND subject worthy OF men
'tton in the Postofiicc department Is the
real necessity ana entire practicabliity
al estahlishinc postal savings hanks.
Thc successful party AT tn" last election
i cleared il, favor uf postal SAVINGS
banks. AMI although the proposition
finds opponents In many parts or tho
country I am convinced that tho poo
pie desire such banks and am sure that
,Visn the banks are furnished they VIII
ho productive OF the utmost good. The
Trostal savings banks are not constl-
tutod for the purpose Of creating com :
petition with other banks The rate or
interest upon deposits 10 which they
would be limited would be so small as
80 prcVrnt thcir drawing deposits away
from other banks
b"lIcNr them to be necessary In or
dor 10 ofrcr proper induccment 10
thrift ana saving 60 great many peo-
pln Of small means who do not now
have banking facilities. and L. whom
such "a system would oner an oppor-
unity for tho accumulation OF capital
SUIP SUBSIDY.
Following the course Of my distin
gui shod predecessor. earnestly recon-,
mend to congress the consideration ana
parsag- of q ship subsidy bill, looking
io the esta blishmont OF lines between
our Atlantic seaboard and the eastern
coast Of south American. as well as
lines from the west coast of the United
states TO south America. China. Japan,
aud th" philippines. The pronIs on
foreign mails arc perhaps SUI nclfn,,
tOcasilr, cf tire eNnend iturcs when
might nrst lie tentatively applied To
THE method Of inducing American cap
itaI to undertake the establishment al
American lines OF steamships in those
directions In which Wc now reel II
most important that we should have
means ~ transportation controlled ~
the interest Of tho expansion OF our
trade. bill of this character has
once paSScd tire house ana more than
or,o nass.,l tho <, nate. and hope that
~ this session y hill framed on the
same lines and with the same purposes
nrly become u law.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT..