The Washington times., 1910-02-23
Needs Reorganization, Says
Kansan-ThrowS Light
on Annual Deficit.
FIGURES TO SHOW
HOW MONEY GOES
Pays Railroads Three Times as
Much as Express Companies Do
for Similar Service"

Declaring that the entire postal sys-
tenn and Postoffice Department needed
reorganization. something, he said,
1t had not had in nearly seventy years,
Representative Victor BIurdock Of Kan
sas shed some light upon the annual
postal deficit when the postal appro-
priation BIN was presented to the
House.
Mr.. Muudock submitted figures to
show that the Government is losing
money on long hauls OF second class
mall matter, but he afterward added to
the complexity of the situation, which
ne Admitted was a battling one, by
saying:
There is a general impression that
second class mail matter is out of bal
ance with the remainder of the system.
and Yet if Congress attempts to raise
horizontally the rate on this matter. it
viii merely increase the zone in which
the express companies win compete,
especially on the larger packages.
Need for Change.
"The time has come that we must
have A complete reorganization OF the
entire postofhce system The Govern
ment should assert its monopoly. and do
away with the practice Of accepting
the unremunerative long hauls while the
express companies seize the paying
In reply to questions by Representa-
ttves Cox of Indiana and HAYES of
California, Mr. Murdoch said there was
no doubt that the Government is pay
ing the railroads two and three times
the amount paid by the express COM
panies for similar service. Why this dis
'rlmlnat1o exists, he declared himself
unable to explain
NO b iSineSS concern would run its
affairs according to the system in the
PoStoftce Department. he asserted AS
an Illustration, he cited that under a
ruling the department pays for mail
transportation at sea on the shOrt-mile
basis. while payers of freight are re-
CURED 10 pay on the longer nautical
mile basis.
Cites Contract.
Citing a contract affecting one Of the
south Pacific islands. Mr.. Murdock
showed that mail, under this peculiar
arrangement, was figured to have trav-
eled 4,21S miles from san Francisco
while freight consigned TO the same
point was paid on the basis Of only
5,e5S miles
No other business in existence. said
Mr.. Murdock, used such a system OF
computation to its own disadvantage.
class matter. Mr.. Murdock said that in
NesttEation showed that the Government
would take u certain monthly periodical
and deliver il by carrier in the city OF
publication for . cents q COPY additional
70 the regular I cent per pound rate
L1s same publication. he said, could
he shipped from New York 20 Ssr
Francisco and delivered by carrier
merely on the payment Of the 1 cent {
pound rate. BY routing a pound Of mat
ter from New York 10 the Pacific coast
Representative Murdock said he haC
personally aSceTtained that il cost the
Government 8 cents per pound to de
liver II, whereas 1t received but ] cent
Partly Filled Cars.
Another matter requiring attention, h,
said, was that Of but partly loaded mai
cars. full loads being sacrificed in th,
interests of celebrity of movement. Ex
press companies use fun cars, he said
"A true definition OF the Government!
monopoly: new bureaus that maintain
modern systems Of accounting; a thor
ough research into all four classes O
postage and the relations one 10 an
other; a reclaSsification OF STANDARD
mail MATERIAL these things are need
ed said Mr. MurdOck in conclusion
Until this Is done. Congress is Eropine
IN the dark with reference to the prob
lem Of the deficit.
Mr.. Murdock was given undivided at
tention by the House, and was en-
Enthusiastically applauded at the cOnClu
sion OF his mail matter summary