The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-02-15
Our Political
RossIttoffice c..

John WananalScr was postmaster general ,
Senator Boise Pcnrose is chairman Of the great
postofllcc committee of the United States SEN
ate; Thomas II Carter, senator from Montana,
has served many years on that committee NO
three men III the United States are better yerscl
IN postofficc affairs and needs tlan these
On February q, I0II the senate postoffcc
committee, under the leadership of Senators
Penrosc and Carter reported fayorably 10 Tie
senate for action the posoffiec appropriation
bill, containing a provision, put ID without al
loving public hearing or open considerations
but under political pressure from the White
House, that increases the postage rate on maya
zines and periodicals 70 such an extent that it
practically absorbS all the profits Of the publish.
ing business OF the country and makes the
inrther production Of popular-priced magazines
impossible. II imposes tax that is confisca-
tory. Notwithstanding, within the year. Senator
Bose Pcnrosc said, referring 70 The Carter
Weeks bill
These are some Of the big features Of The
BILL The whole intent il 10 systcmazc and lo
modcrnlze the entire postal system. Ii is idle
TO take up such questions as apportioning the
cost for carrying sccond-class mail matter or
the proper compensation Of railroads for trans
porting the mails until We shall have established
business methods III postofce affairs by reor-
ganization Of the whole postal system 49, The
commission unanimously recommended the pass
age Of the projected bill Personally have bcca
very much interested in all the details. and OF
course am heartily in favor Of the changes to be
made
Senator Garter, last March:
But ! must forego further pursuit OF de-
tails. The bill was cordially approved BY POST
master General Meyer and his assistants, and
likewise has the approval Of Postmaster General
Hitchcock. II failed Of passage during the last
congress owing TO lack Of time for its proper
consideration, but ! have rcintroduccd The bill,
which is now designated Senate, 62S7, Second
Session SiNty-frs Congress. The committee
on poStoftlces and postroads will favorably report
the bill to the senate, and ii should be enacted
into law before the close Of this session be-
licve not only that il will increase efficiency.
but that after the e~P4Asc of installation is alb
Sorbed, It will result in such economics III the
administration Of the departments and service
as will ere long wipe out the deficiency In
under Il the department will be able.
with almost uncrrng certainty. to determine
the actual cost Of each service performed there
By reaching sound basis for legislation sucr
As i neither available nor obtainablc under the
present system
y deeply sympathize with the earnest de
sire Of the department officials to get rid OF the
deficiency they are fated to encounter each
year, but submit that the first real movement
toward that end mus, begin with the substitu-
ton Of a modern, up-to-datc business organiza-
lion for the existing antquatcd system, which
rests upon few sections oi law enacted III 1885
supplemented BY statutory cnactments added
from time 70 time since that year.
John Wanamakcr said recently.
with Mr. Ilitchcocks suggestion however,
there will be no general agreement The maga-
zines are supported, not BY the price paid for
the magazine by the readers, but BY the adj
verserS
IN sense, magazines are private concerns
but thcN nave public function to perfornl--an
educational function 10 tax the advertisements
is 10 tax the quality Of the educational matter
in the pages for the advertisements
nabc the publishers 70 pay high prices for liter
lttrc and educational articles lhe price paid
or magazine does not pay for the printing and
re paper If Mr. Hitchcock suggestion shouI
'ecome part 1T the presidents plan it would
mean that the public would suffer il the loss of
much educational material that the publishers
hen would be unable 10 buy
We urge every friend OF honest politics.
government and free press to tcll-
graph or write an immediate protest to thor
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