The Washington times., 1910-11-01
TAFT FOR HIGHER
POSTAGE ON ADS
Will Ask Congress in Next
Message to Increase
Magazine Rates.
PLAN FAVORED
BY HITCHCOCK
Reading Matter Would Be Separat-
ed and Weighed as Means of De-
termining Amount Handled.

President Taft, acting upon the report
Of Postmaster General Hitchcock. Will
again recommend to Congress that the
postal rates for magazines be revised.
He will propose that the present rate
Of l cent a pound on all reading mat
ter contained in magazines and other
periodicals remain. but that the rate for
carry ing the advertising matter be in
creased
Extent Of increase on advertising
pages will be determined later by the
Congressional committees before whom
the Postmaster General will appear
and ask for 2 sufficient increase to
meet, if possible, the postal deficit Yet
remaining.
The present movement for an advance
In the cost OF carrying magazines
through the mails has taken or new
form with the announcement that the
Administration hopes 10 sufficiently in
crease the postal receipts by that
means. to a reduction Of The letter rate
from , cents an ounce 10 l cent
Not for Recommendation.
This reduction, it is said, will not be
recommended IN the next message, but
z
Chief Executive that if the present loss
in carrying magazines can be obviated
by raising the rate, a Ore-cent-an-ounce
letter rate can be hoped for in the
near future.
Should the President again urge Con-
gress to consider an advance in the
postal rates on magazines, as is now
his determination, the magazine pub
fishers Will have 10 renew the fight
they temporarily won when the last
Congress refused to take action upon
the question. The committees Of the
House and Senate last winter care
FULLY reviewed the whole proposition
and decided that the time was not
ripe for a revision Of the postal
charges
In presenting the matter to the
President, the Postmaster General con-
tended that ii was entirely feasible to
separate the reading matter and the
advertising sections Of a magazine and
impose a different rate on each. His
idea is that each month or week the
publishers Of the periodical shall send
the first copy TO the poStoffice where
the edition is 10 be mailed.
The two sections would be segre-
gated and each weighed. Charges are
to be computed upon the whole edition
by the sample submitted for the in
SpectlOu OF the postal authorizes
Modification Wanted
It is not planned by the department
at this time to ask Congress for any
modification OF the rate now charged
on newspapers. 1t is again shown that
the average haul Of newspapers is but
300 miles, whereas TIE average haul of
magazines is 100 miles
Revision of the postal rates on mag
azines is but one Of the reforms which
the President and Post master General
propose in the postal service. These
two executives want TO see the civil
service extend to all classes Of post
masters. even to those of the first class.
They believe that by giving the more
important pOStmaSterS the assurance
that they are 70 hold their jobs indch-
nitelv. provided they make Credita BILE
records for themselves. the postal Sery--
ice will be vastly improved.
This system has been found 10 work
well with the pOstmaSters Of the third
and fourth class Offices, and the PreSi-
dent believes that il Will work equally
well with the bigger offices.
The President is now gathering ma
terial for his forthcoming message, and
will incorporate in ii a strong recon-
mendation affecting the postal charges
on magazines.