The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-02-18

Some Interesting Facts Developing in
2 Fight on Sec0nd-Cla Rates,
Conditions Misrepresented
Soda Springs Chieftain---

Soda Springs Chieftain--
Since the recommendation concern
ing the second-class postal rates was
sprung upon congress by President
Taft, everything possible has been
dug up by all concerned to prove
their position as tenantable. The
data has been a surprise to those
who have sought to place the deficit
upon the second-class rate. In the
various discussions which the prob
lem has brought about none have
been more to the point or portrayed
the truth more forceably than the
following from the Salt Lake Trib-
une:
The Investigation into the social
ed Postal deficit is being made, not
only In Congress, but in newspapers
all over the United States. We have
copied heretofore, report Of a Con-
gressional investigating committee,
which concluded that second class
matter is In fact paying Its own way.
even under the present rates; that
the estimate Of 8 cents pound as
the cost Of carrying this class OF mail
made by President Taft, was alto
gether wild. The fact of the matter
is that no absolutely correct figures
can be given with respect to this
cost, as no segregation is made with
respect to 1t in the postoffice ac-
counts. So that 1t ID largely q mat
ter TO estimate; but the Congressional
committee referred to had before 1t
all OF the experts of the postoff1ce
department, and that is the conclus-
ion arrived at-that this class OF mail
pays Its own way under the present
rates.
Besides that, however, the second
class matter adds materially to the
mail carried under the other classifi-
cations. It has a very large business
Of its own, but every newspaper, ev-
cry magazine, has besides its pay.
ments on second class matter, large
postal accounts for other service. 1t
sends out a very large number of let
tiers, circulars and other classes of
mail, paying full rates thereon. A
case is given of publication which
paid $40, 900 In direct postage on sec
ond-class matter, and at the same
time this magazine showed that its
business brought $4,000 of revenue
to other classes of postal service in.
letters, circulars, money orders, reg
sistered mail, and the like. So that
second-class matter, besides paying
its way and adding very largely in d.
rect compensation to postalrevenues.
increases those revenues in other
lines in the case cited, ten fold, and
there is no reason to believe that that
case was exceptional Every publish
.er knows the fact that the postage
account on letters, circulars, money
orders, registered mail, etc., receiv-
ed at and sent from his Office Is many
times greater than the amount of
postage paid direct: that In the large
curtailment of the use of mails as
proposed by President Taft in Sec
ond -class matter, there would be a
corresponding shrinkage of other
classes Of the mail service.
We call attention to this as an Inn
portant contribution to the discus
sion of this whole question. What
ever postal deficit there may be, that
deficit would be tremendously enlarg-
ed, If it were not for the revenue
made by the indirect carriage of the
second-class matter at the one-cent
rate,
In this connection 1t is well worth
while to note that speeches of the
President and of Speaker Cannon are
being mailed free all over the coun-
try at cost of good many thousand
dollars to the service: that under the
statement made few days ago in
the Washington dispatches, member
of Congress was sending home six
sacks of seeds for distribution among
his constituents. The postage on
these six sacks would doubtless have
amounted at the regular rates to for
ty or fifty dollars, and as nearly four
hundred members In both houses Of
Congress are sending out huge
quantity of ranked matter. from
typewriting machines to sets OF the
Congressional Record weighing per-
haps from fifty to sixty pounds, 1t is
no wonder the postoffice shows an APP
parent deficit.
It Is shown also that the ruarl de-
livery is costing something like $685.
000, 900 a year, and vet no one has
proposed to add this sum to the bill.
of the farmers who receive their mail
by this service.
The reported deficit Is some seven
teen million dollars That could be
wiped out at one stroke by the linn
itation to reasonable restrictions of
the franking privilege exercised by
Of Congress and by the null
titude Of officials In the various de-
partments In Washington.