Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06
SHOT AT PoSToFFlcE
Statistical Sharp Sends In
n Package hat ts worth
While.

The reduction of postal rates has con-
tinued from the day Of Sir Rowland Hill
until now. Now It is seriously proposed
that this policy shall be abandoned in re-
gard to newspapers, and in order to justify
this revolution we have some rather sur
prising statements in the report Of the
postmaster general.
The postmaster general states that the
cost Of handling newspaper mail Is 9%
cents a pound. II that were true practic-
ally, as it is true statistically, It would be
a severe indictment of the whole manage
ment Of the Postoffice department. Elk
press companies are glad to handle this
mail for l cent a pound, and in some cases
for u cent, and these companies give to
the railroads one-half of what they get,
and they are paying enormous dividends.
The difficulty 10 that statistics are mis-
leading. The figures are reached by taxi
ing the entire weight of all the mail and
dividing it by the total expense of the
whole department.
The traffic managers do not go on any
such law of averages, are not deluded by
any such statistics. Neither is the post
master general deluded by such statistics
when he comes to discuss other matters
relating to the postal service. else he would
stop talking about parcels post. Parcels
post is impossible II the cost to the govern
ment is 8 cents a pound, or $225 for a
twenty-five pound package,
He is pleading for a subsidy for foreign
ships. He is describing this postal rate as
a subsidy for domestic business. He wants
to abolish this so-called domestic subsidy
that he may have money to give to the
ships engaged In foreign and he
says: Profits from the foreign mail serv-
Ice mot including the cost Of handling
malls within the country would exceed
the combined cost of the additional mail
service act"
Profits now nav one meaning here,
confined to one part Of the service only.
There Is nc general grouping of the ex-
pense, nor any division Of the cost upon
foreign mail.
The deficit in the Postoffice department
is due to the extension Of the rural routes,
a policy deliberately entered upon by the
government after many years Of considera-
ton. 1t has Justified itself. 1t will in time
sustain itself. In the meantime, the peo-
pie are willing to supply the deficit, pro-
vided always that the business Of the de-
partment is put upon a business basis and
conducted with strict economy without an
impairment Of the postal service.
The postmaster general speaks of the
surplus as something practically unknown
prior to 1879. when by act of congress news
papers were admitted to rate as second
class matter at the uniform price of Z
cents. In 1871 the revenue Of the Postoffice
department was 81 cents per capita Of pop
ulation. The expenditures were 81 cents
In 1872 it was "a cents and 66 cents. In
1873 it was " cents and 70 cents. In 1874
a. uvaa co nankS ana II aanfa Tn IpTE a
was 81 cents and 70 cents. In 1876 it was
s. cents and "a cents. In 1877 it was 50 cents
and " cents. In 1878 it waB 81 cents and
u cents.
. Here is a deficit in revenue ranging from
6 per cent to 80 per cent.
In 1879. when the newspaper act was
passed. the revenue per capita was g. cents
and the expenditures 50 cents. In 1882 the
revenue was 50 cents and the expenditure
n cents. In 1888 the revenue was IS cents
per capita and the expenditure was 81 cents
In 1884 and thereafter there was a deficit.
The expenditure for rural delivery begar
in 1893. and wa $50, 900. reaching In 100
about SIS, O0O,O 900. Yet the deficit is only
per cent, which Is proportionately less thar
It was prior to 1879.
The statistics. as grouped by the post
master general. are altogether misleading
The question is one OF statesmen, and W,
|, doubt IL the United States congress viii
abandon its policy Of developing the FREE
rural delivery or change the policy entered
I upon deliberately by congress thirty year.
/. ago, encouraging the dissemination OF In
formation and cheap publications by a uni
form rate for Legitimate newspapers OF
cent
/, When that policy was adopted there wer,
= in the United States but 1000 postofices
There are now d.OOO.
The revenue OF the department was $50,
D OOO. 1000. It is now s1sL.OO0.ooo.
D There were $4,000 miles OF railroad an,
| there are now $500
The population OF the United States wa.
r 100000, and 1t is now over SO.OOo.00O.
a There were published in the United State
in 1873 S.T@ newspapers and periodicals
, There are now published p. $40. The reve
/ nue. Dor ton per mile Of railroads u No