Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06
FIGURES SHOT AT PoSToFFICE
Kentucky Statistical sharp sends In
n Package that II worth
While.

Inc FeuuCIOu OF pOStal TAUeS mas COn-
tinued from the day Of Sir Rowland Hill
until now. Now It lie seriously proposed
that this policy shall be abandoned in re-
gard TO newspapers, and in order to Justify
this revolution we rave some rather sur
prising statements In the report Of the
postmaster general.
The postmaster general states tina the
cost of handling newspaper mail Is s%
cents a pound. If that were true practic-
ally, as II is true statistically, 1t would be
q severe indictment of the whole manage
ment Of the Postoffice department. Ex-
press companies ara glad to handle this
mail for l cent a pound, and in some cases
for u cent, and these companies give to
the railroads one-half of what they get,
and they are paying enormous dividends.
The difficulty Is that statistics are mis-
leading. The figures are reached by TAX
Ing the entire weight OF all the mail and
dividing it by the total expense of the
whole department.
The traffic managers do not go on any
such law OF averages, are not deluded by
any such statistics. Neither Is the post
master general deluded by such statistics
when he comes to discuss other matters
relating to the postal service, else he would
stop talking about parcels post. Parcels
post is impossible II the cost to the govern
ment Is 0 cents a pound, or $2.25 for a
twenty-five pound package.
He ia pleading for a subsidy for foreign
ships. He is describing this postal rate as
a subsidy for domestic business. He wants
to abolish this so-called domestic subsidy
that he may rave money to give to the
ships engaged In foreign commerce, and h
says: Profits from the foreign mail serv-
ice (not including the cost Of handling
malls within the country would exceed
the combined cost of the additional mail
service act"
Profits" now nave one meaning here,
confined to one part OF the service only.
There is no general grouping of the ex-
pense, nor any division of the cost upon
foreign mall.
The deficit in the Postoffice department
Is due to the extension Of the rural routes,
a policy deliberately entered upon by the
government after many years Of considera.
ton. 1t has Justified itself. 1t will in tImt
sustain itself. In the meantime, the PEG.
pie are willing to supply the deficit, pro.
vided always that the business Of the de.
partment is put upon a business basis and
conducted with strict economy without az
impairment Of the postal service.
The postmaster general speaks of tn,
a surplus as something practically unknown
|, prior to 1873. when by act Of congress news
. papers were admitted to rate as second
class matter at the uniform price of
cents. In 1871 the revenue Of the Postoffic,
. department was 81 cents per capita Of pop
! ulation. The expenditures were 50 cents
, In 1872 1t was 81 cents and 66 cents. II
1873 it was a" cents and 70 cents. In 1877
, It was 60 cents and rs cents. In 1875 4
was 81 cents and 10 cents. In 1916 1t wa
IS cents and "a cents. In 1877 it was 50 cent
and " cents. In 1878 It was 81 cents ant
, q cents.
Here is a deficit in revenue ranging from
6 per cent to 80 per cent.
In 1879, when the newspaper act wal
passed, the revenue per capita was 50 cent
and the expenditures 80 cents. In 1882 tn
revenue was 80 cents and the expenditur,
n cents. In 1888 the revenue was IS cent
|, per capita and the expenditure was 81 cents
In 1884 and thereafter there was a deficit.
: The expenditure for rural delivery begal
> in 1893. and was sl5O,OOO, reaching in 100
about 81. OOO.O 900. Yet the deficit is only
4 per cent, which is prop%ortionately less thai
\ It was prior to 1878.
= The statistics, as grouped by the post
master general. are altogether misleading
q The question Is one OF statesmen, and W
. doubt IL the United States congress wi
4 abandon its policy Of developing the FIRE
rural delivery or change the policy entere,
4 upon deliberately by congress thirty year
e ago, encouraging the dissemination Of in
formation and cheap publications by a I'M
form rate for legitimate newspapers OF
= cent
q When that policy was adopted there wer
= in the United States but 1000 postoffices
There are now d.0Oo.
) The revenue OF the department was $50
o OOO, 900. 1t is now S1sLOOO,0o0.
o There were $4,000 miles of railroad an
\ there are now 2S6 200.
Z The population OF the United States wa
II $500. 900, and It Is now over 100000
n There were published in the United State
n in 1879 S.TOs newspapers and periodical
Q There are now published 81. $40. The rove
I nue. DOr ton per mile OF railroads u No