The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-28
HITCHCOCK REPLIES
IN VIGOROUS STYLE
POStmaster-General Says State
ments of Magazine Are En-
r0neOus and Misleading.
GOVERNMENT LOSES ON
SEC0ND-CLASS MATTER
Holds That Letter Postage Could
Be Cut if Publishers We're
Charged Cost.

WASHINGTON, Feb 27.-''Errone eous
or misleading is the way the postotiice
department characterlzes the statement
recently published by the Periodical Pub
IIshers association. entitled, AN ArGu-
ment on Second-Class Postal Rates FROM
the Business Standpoint Alone, r,os
The answer OF the department was
made public today. 1t declares the prem
se on which the argument is based Is
faulty and consequently every Important
conclusion reached is fallacious.
Hitchcock's Statement.
Postmaster General Hitchcock declares,
"If the rate on second-class mail were
made high enough 10 cover the enure
cost oil transporting and handling II;
which has not been suggested II would
be possible. without deficit 10 reduce
the postage on letters TO one cent. Every
time two-cent stamp is placed on let :
ter IL defrays not only the expense OF
handling and transporting the letter. put
helps TO pay in almost equal measure
the cost of distributing through the mails
the periodical publications Of the coun-
try"
orate discussion of the cost TO the gov
ernment OF handling mail. particularly
second class matter and by rural free
delivery. II is shown that the average
length OF the haul of magazines is 10lS
miles. while that of daily newspapers
also second class matter-is only 29l
miles,
Ridicules Conclusion.
The department asserts the CONCLUSION
that there is no more expense TO the
government in carrying magazines an
average distance OF l0iS miles than In
CARRYING newspapers 29l miles Is so pal
pably wrong as hardly to deserve COM
ment"
II was contended by the publishers that
the second d-class matter should not pc
charged with the proportionate cost OF
rural free delivery assigned TO II by
the department because that blanch oil
the service was "a governmental policy
conducted at q great loss. and because
further the periodicals have no need
of that service.
In reply to this point. Postmaster Gen-
eral Hitchcock says:
The department was conservative IN
charging second-cass mail 1922 per cent
of the cost OF rural delivery. Statistics
show that Is per cent OF the pieces OF
mail handled In this service consists OF
second class matter. Were IL not for the
rural delivery service, the cjrculatlons OF
magazines would be materially reduced,
In response TO the publishers assertion;
that with Il proper allowance Tor rural
delivery there is surplus of more than
$40 900 900 in all the operations OF the
postoffices." Mr.. Hitchcock declares,
with equal force 1t might be said. with
proper allowance for second-claSS mail
there is surplus of over $i6 600 900 in
all the operations of the postal service,
Even If there were no deficit the fact
that the department is conducting one
branch of its business at a loss OF S64,-
600 900 usually would demand attention.
1t is pointed out that. ''the government
Is losing over 8 cents A pound on second
class matter sent through the malls. the
annual loss TO the national revenues ap-
proximating $4,000. .000.'
There are $1,000 publications enjoying
she second class privileges a large pro-
portion of which are magazines