The National tribune., 1910-04-21
THE POST0FFEG.
Extraordinary and Pressing De-
mands for Legislation to Broad
en- the Departments Scope.

| II vigorous, TelelllltsS S1ibSitANiA -
aged Congressional enactments, 1t can
not be many years before the United
States Postal Service will be much more
co,nprehensive than it has ever been.
During no previous Winter in the his
Itorv of the Government have there been
so many demands as there have been
this Winter. for new laws that would
broaden the scope of the Post once
Departments activities.
If the House accepts the Senate bill
passed a few weeks ago, the many thou
sands of money-order post offices thru
out the country will also be banking in
stitlItions in the course of a few months.
Rut this is only one of a dozen or more
| postal measures pending before the
Post Office Committees of Senate ana
House There are parcels post plllS
galore bills for the establishment OF
lDostaI express service, bills for the re-
lduction of postage on nearly every class
of mail matter, bills for the increase OF
lcertain postage, rates and bills for the
REORGANIZATION of the service in It's dl-
vers branches.
President Taft was an earnest advo-
lcata of increasing the rates of postage
on second class mail matter. particular
lIy of heavy magazines, with view to
working down the large postal dellcit.
The House Committee on POST olilceS
and Post Roads, one of the largest anu
/ lablest committees of the House, came
Ito grief only few weeks ago In trying
Ito carry thru any legislation - that
= character After extended hearings the
matter was abandoned, and is not like
ly to bv heard from again for a time.
This outcome, however, was like that
with many other bills for the reorgan-
.4.1 rIan n a
particular during the last Is years. The
t interests concerned are so vast ana
varied that every reform or modltca-
tion proposed finds not only strong
champions, but strong and determined
opponents Thus it is that after long
| clash it often happens that the Postai
. Committees of Congress decide 1t Is
, wiser to do nothing than to incur the
: criticism and opposition sure to ensue
upon the adoption of any change in the
= postal laws In the meantime they rea-
t son that popular sentiment for the mod
t ernization of the Postal Service VIII m
crease. so that some day it will domi-
nate fhe opposition of special interests.
whose accommodation by the Postal
Service must be considered, of course,
: along with the accommodation or other
: patrons.
, The agitation for modernization is a
: feature of the activities of every WINTER
the NatiOfldi Sdplldi. MI d sSto9ioAi
of Congress goes by that agents and
t representatives OF this and that idea do
, nou camp in Washington and extend
Itheir propaganda. Not Winter goes
by but what the Senate and House re-
ceive a great number of petitions and
memorials from divers parts OF tne
country asking changes in-the postal
, laws. Usually these are for the pur-
pose of bringing the Postal Service clos
er to the people and for extending IA
: cilit:es for the public convenience.
, Inconsistencies of the Regulations.
Thus far, with the exception of the
} postal savings bank bill, there has been
precious little legislation of general
character touching the Postal Service,
! but some men believe the day is not far
: distant when there will be. Whether
r it will go to the length of parcels post
, and even whether the pending postal
savings bank bill, which the Senate has
already enacted, will become law may
: be open to question. But undoubtedly
1.-The present laws will be liberaliZed be-
fore long to some extent. There Is A
very great demand for postal express
( service, as some choose to call 1t, altho
! this is only modification of the parcels
i post idea.
Great Inconsistencies of rates now
/ prevail as those who have occasion tc
a Lsend merchandise thru the mails arr
4 generally aware. A few examples VIII
r demonstrate this. The rate upon print
y ed books and pamphlets my mail Il
y eight cents a pound: upon blank book
e Is cents a pound. Raw chestnuts ma.
: be sent thru the mail at eight cents |
h pound, but roasted chestnuts are mall
e able only at 16 cents pound. Onion
r that are to be planted are mailable a
y eight cents a pound, while onions TO
" ieating can be sent only for 16 cents
d pound.
i Similar distinctions apply to raw oat
n and oatmeal; maps printed on pape
" and maps printed on cloth; beans, pea
Y and potatoes for eating and the sam
r. for planting; dried plants and flowerinl
" plants; sclons of live wood and deaf
y wood, such as rulers.
II These of course, are purely matter
+ of classification, and do not PARTICULAR
IS interest the man in the street, who's
mail consists of letters and his dali
= paper But nevertheless there are mil
e, lions of people who are affected an
ID whose patronage would undoubtedly
TO contribute toward making the grea
r Postal Service, which now costs abou
le $3.50, 10000 a year, seif-supportine
r There has been much emphasis in re
k cent years upon the fact that one ca
l. mail package out of any post Office /
s. this country to any one of dozen for
Of eign countries cheaper than he ca
u mail the same package to another pos
Is Office in the United States.
In The House Post Office Committee ha
le been giving numerous hearings thi
1t Winter on a lot of these questions.
pt is unlikely that there Will be Legislation
* this session, but the committee is dis
lie posed TO formulate some of the matter
T. before long into bill and strive to &c
legislation thru Congress.
Ran Into Trouble.
* Editor National Tribune: I d
s, not claim to be the youngest sol