Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-05
WHY SHY AT THE p, O. DEFICIT?

Postal reform is in the air. The big
deficit of more than S17,o00G0O fright
ems Postmaster General Hitchcock. The
losses are classified by the department
head thus: s64.0oO000 on second class
matter, s2S0o0,0Q0 on rural mail ser
vine. congressional franks 100000.
free official mail from Departments
outside the postoffice department. 81
$500 The net loss to the depart
unent or she deficit which must he made
up is s1-.479.oOO. The postofice ran
behind that amount last year
The reform should be less a question
of saving than of equalizrg the loss.
The postoffice is not necessarily a bus
dness that must pay a dividend but
public service to he performed to the
best advantage of all the people with
less regard to expense than to the
economical conduct of the service. I'm
mediate communication, the transmits
sion of events, markets, personal COM
munications with immediate dispatch
as the first thing TO be considered. This
is imperative and any attempt TO mod
ify it would prove not only more ex-
pensve but disastrous to the welfare
of the country in business and other
wise. The second important point is to
get the most and best service for the
money expended. but the service is
w ,,oo,,p+
The rural mail servine can not 60
backward Ii is as much an absolute
necessity to this age and as much in
line with the days progress as the
postage stamp. 1t is no farther in ad
vance of its time than Franklins first
postoffice couriers who carried in
saddlebags the scanty mail of their
day. We're in front of their time Ii will
be hard to save money on rural mail
delivery. It is being economically done
so far as the actual delivery i con-
cerned. The men who are carrying
mail twenty five miles day 10 100
farmers, providing their own horses
and vehicles on leess than $1,000 a year
are not being overpaid considering the
prices of labor horseaesh and vehicles.
There seems small chance for saving
there.
The magazine and newspaper rate is
boldly attacked as too low There is
some truth in this contention. A New
York magazine weighing a. pound may
go from Hell Gate 10 Frisco harbor for
cents. Perhaps this rate of 50 a hun
bred is too low. Compared with ex-
press rates it is too low. The daily
newspaper goes our at a cent pound
In Iowa it takes the regular trains rur
dor passenger service and which wou(
be run whether the lailies We're ppinte1
Or not printed. From Chicago ,ht
dailies are sent on trains which other.
wise would never have been made Up
in special cars with a special dist 10
uting force. In the one case the rat,
Z as not a losing one: in the case O
trains especially for the purpose o
bringing Chicago newspaper outsid.
their natural field the cost grows
It is certain to be difficult Of adjust
ment. When all has been said Of thu
Legitimate distribution of Legitimate
publications Of all classes the cost o
the service is to be paid, if not in
postal deficit, then directly from tn
pockets Of the people. 1t is a question
between indirect taxation and direc
and individual payment. In the end i
all comes out of the people. Moreove
there is little about a stl000,030 de
dicit in a great and neecessftous sarvic
that should brighten into CONFUSION
nation which speaks glibly of pay
ing out s5oo,ooO,ooo for canal whicI
will never pay back directly per cen
on the investment