The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-04
ALLEGED NEWSPAPER SUBSIDY.

ALLEGED NEWSPAPER SUBSIDY.
AS was to have been expected that
portion of President Taft's message
which characterized the second-class
postage rate of 1 cent pound as a
gigantic subsidy to the newspapers,
magazines and periodicals, has come in
for considerable comment and discus
Sion. President Taft stated emphati-
cally that the cost of handling this
second-elass postage was 9 cents a
pound. This statement has been ana
lyzed and dissected, particularly as it
relates to newspapers, and the con-
sensus of opinion is that if it costs
the government 9 cents pound to ham
die second-class mail matter, the gov
eminent is paying the railroads an ex-
orbitant price for this service and is
also pretty free with other expendi-
lures which may be incident to the
handling of this mail. Indisputable
evidence of this is to be found in the
fact that the general rate charged by
express companies on newspaper pack
ages is one-haf cent a pound, and
in some cases the express rate is only
one-Quarter cent a pound for such SER
vice. No one will have the temerity to
suggest that the express companies put
in such a rate for the purpose of sub
sidizing the newspapers. Well hardly.
This matter was handled in discern
ing way in an editorial which was
printed recently in the Indianapolis
Star as follows:
The idea of calling the second-class
mail privilege subsidy to newspapers
was not original with President Taft.
He borrowed 1t from the ship subsidy
advocates, who are imploring US not to
use that baleful word in connection
with ocean mail contracts" Borrowed
or original, however, 1t does not prom
Use to yield him any great renown. The
day will probably come when he will
regret its use in a message to con-
gress for two reasons; first the news
papers are carried at a profit instead
of a loss; second. the only subsidy in
the premises is the unnecessarily large
contributions thus made to the rail-
roads.
The government rate for carrying
newspapers is l cent a pound The ex-
press rate is one-half cent Some of the
railroads, where they carry newspaper
packages direct without the interven-
ton of the enormously prosperous ex-
press companies, are glad to do 1t for
cne-fourth cent a pound. Traction COM
panies carry them for half cent,
Daily newspapers, moreover, handle
their packs ges themselves, without cost
to the government. At The Star office,
as at most offices, the packages are
weighed, routed and carted directly to
the trains. the onlv trouble the gov
eminent sustains being to have pos
tai official present to inspect the weigh
ing. The postoffice is out nothing for
handling the papers. but it gets Its l
cent a pound.
Congress will not accept without in
quiry the presidents doctrine that the
newspapers receive a postal subsidy.
The poStoff1ce committees of both house
and senate propose, on the contrary,
to find out what truth there is in the
generally accepted statement that the
higher transportation rates charged the
government than are charged the ex-
press companies, even with the enor-
~ GUS profits the express business pays.
amount in effect to subsidy of $685.
100000 annually to the railroads.
The postal deficit is not caused by the
newspapers, but what does cost the
government a great deal is the I'M
mense volume of magazines and so
called periodicals, very largely made
up of advertising matter, which it car
ries long distances across the country,
whereas the newspaper goes almost
wholly to points near its office of pub
licatton. There Is an educational side
TO the problem, also. Involving the pub
lie policy Of encouragement for the dis
daily press. The Importance of thus
facilitating popular knowledge was full
ly understood by Thomas Jefferson In
this familiar and memorable passage
from his writings;
The way to prevent these irregular in
Propositions of the people Che referred to
the governmental abuses of Europe) is to
give them full information of these affairs
through the channels of the public papers.
and SO contrive that these papers shall
penetrate the whole mass of the people.
The basis of our government being the
opinion of the people, the very first object
should be to keep that right, and were it
left to me to decide whether we should
have a government without newspapers.
or newspapers without a government, 1
should not hesitate a moment to prefer
the latter. BY that I should mean that
every man should receive those papers
and be capable Of reading them.
Congress confronts an imperative
duty to correct the abuses of second
class mail privileges. not by newspa-
pers, but by expensive magazines and
fake periodicals. and see that the rail-
roads are paid no more than proper
rates for carrying the mails. 1t will
hardly be diverted from this duty by
the Questionable expedient of complaint
| that the newspaper press is subsidized.
MIR. DOOLEY ON COST OF LIVING.
NJ noaI