The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-14
Our Political Post Office

Chairman of the Great Post Office Commit.
tee of the United States Senate; THOMAS
H. CAR TER, Senator from Montana has
served many years on that Committee No
three men in the United States are better
versed in Post Office Affairs and Needs chan
these a-,--
On February g. 1911, the Senate Post Office
Committee, under the leadership of Senators
Penrose and Carter, reported favorably to the
Senate for action the Post Office Approprja
ton Bill containing provision put in without
allowing public hearing or open considera-
ton. but under political pressure from the
White House, that increases the postage rate
on magazines and periodicals to such an ex-
tent that it practically absorbs all the profits
of the publishing business of the country and
makes the further production of popular
priced magazines impossible. 1t imposes
tax that is con6scatory.
Notwithstanding within the year, Senator
Boise Penrose said (referring to the Carter
Weeks billy: These are some of the big
features of the bill. The whole intent is to
systematic and modernize the entire postal
system. 1t is idle to take up such questions
as apportioning the cost for carrying second
class mail matter or the proper compensation
of railroads for transporting the mail until
we shall have established business methods in
post office airs by a reorganization of the
whole postal system.
"The commission unanimously recommend
ed the passage of the projected bill. Person
ally have been very much interested in all
the details and Of course am heartily in favor
Of the changes to be made"
Senator CARTER last March: "But |
must torego further pursuit of the details
The bill was cordially approved by Postmaster
General Myer and his assistants, and likewise
has the approval of Postmaster General Hitch
cock. 1t failed OF passage during the last
Congress owing to lack Of time for Its proper
consideration. but have introduced the bill,
which is now designated Senate o287, Second
Session, Sixty-First Congress-. The commit
tee on Post Offices and Post Roads will favor
ably report the bill to the Senate and i1 should
be enacted into law before the close of this
session. believe not only that it will in
crease efficiency, but that after the expense of
installation is absorbed, it will result in such
economics in the administration Of the depart
ment and service as will ere long wipe out the
deficiency, In operating under it the depart
ment will be able with almost unerring GER
tanty to determine the actual cost of each
service performed, thereby reaching sound
basis for legislation such as is neither availa-
Die or ODCdlndOle unOeT the present system.
81 deeply sympathize with the earnest dc sire
of the department officials to get rid of the de-
fciency they are fated to encounter each year,
but l submit that the first real movement toward
that end must begin with the substitution of
modern, up to date business organization for the
existing antiquated system which rests upon few
sections of law enacted in 1885, supplemented by
statutory enactments added from time to time
since that year"
JOHN WANAMAKER said recently: "With Mr..
Hitchcocks suggestion, however, there will be no
general agreement. The magazines are support
ed, not by the price paid for the magazine by the
readers but by the advertisers
'In a sense, magazines are private concerns but
they have public function to perform, an educa.
tional function. To tax the advertisements is to
tax the quality of the educational matter con,
tanned in the pages for the advertisements enable
the publishers to pay high prices for literature
and educational articles. The price paid for the
magazine does not pay for the printing and the
paper If Mr.. HitchcockS suggestion should be.
come part of the Presidents plan, it would
mean that the public would suffer in the loss of
much educational material, in that the publisher
then would be unable to buy.
We urge every friend of honest politics, eco.
nomica government and free press to telegraph
or write immediate protest to their Senators
and Representatives at Washington.
The CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
The SATURDAY EVENING POST
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