Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-05

al mail >. ............ 5,219,661
Registry service. 2,sss,s12 6,76s, 4s7
Special delivery. 1.s73,451 1,233,164
Money orders =. 3,946,S13 4,O15,206
AS forecast in his advance synopsis
of his report, Mr.. Hitchcock suggests
various methods for reducing the de-
felt on second class mail matter. One
proposal is to increase the rates on
magazines, the cost of carrying which
is several times that of newspapers
Another plan is ito fix the rates upon
the basis of zone system, the prin-
ciple being that the farther periodical
is carried the higher the rate to be
charged. Still another proposal is
system of charges based on differentia-
ton between pure reading and adver-
Using matter.
Magazines Cause Most Loss.
Magazines and other periodical pub
LEGATIONS, exclusive of daily newspapers,
comprise about so per cent OF the sec
ond class mail" says Mr.. Hitchcock.
Magazines alone form about 20 per
cent. While the average haul OF mag
azines proper is more than 1000 miles
and that of other classes of periodicals,
not including daily newspapers, ranges
from $50 to more than LOO miles, the
haul of daily newspapers, which COM
prise about 40 per cent Of the second
class mail, averages less than 300
miles.
1.-THE cost of transportation by rail
and by other means forms slightly
more than third of the total expense
of handling the second class mail Mag
azines proper, because of their long
y, 81 of y,
5 cents a pound for transportation,
while for daily newspapers, for which
the average haul is much less, the
transportation cost is less than cents
a pound.
Length Of Haul Important.
"In view of these conditions, the
question naturally arises how far the
length of haul should be regarded in
fixing the rates Of postage for second
class matter. The fact that the aver
age transportation distance for mag
azines and other periodicals is so much
greater than that for daily newspapers
has led to the suggestion that the form
err class of publications be charged a
higher rate of postage than the latter.
Another plan that recognizes length
of haul as an important element in fix
ing second class postage rates is the
establishment of zone system under
which given rate would be charged
to all points within certain radius
from the office of mailing and higher
rate to points beyond the limits of the
zone. For convenience in carrying out
such a plan zone boundaries could be
fixed conforming to the state lines that
most nearly approximate a given
radius.
ut has been suggested also that in
fixing postage rates for second class
mail discrimination be made between
purely reading matter and matter
printed for advertising purposes.
higher rate to be charged on the lat
ter.
Advertising to Bear Tolls?
"As advertisements comprise so large
part of the publications distributed
at second class rates, it is urged that
py following this plan G sufficient in
crease in revenue can be effected with
out any additional postage charge on
the legitimate reading matter in per-
| iodicals.
"No matter which of these plans
shall be adopted or whether the SIM
pier method now in force of charging
fiat rate on all second class mail shall
be continued, some substantial advance
4 in postage rate on such mail should
be made in order to reduce the tre-
mendous losses the government reven-
ues now are suffering from this source"
Mr. Hitchcock concludes with fig
ures showing that the rural delivery
4,service is another expensive feature,
| the annual loss from this source be-
ing $28, 100000 a year. Attic the facili-
ties for circulation of newspapers and
magazines and for the delivery Of mail
on rural routes have conferred vast
benefits on the public, Mr. Hitchcock
believes that "the present state Of our
national finances is such as to render
desirable an earnest consideration of