The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-14

Our Political
POStOffice
John Wanamaker was postmaster general; Ser
II Boies Penrose is chairman of the great post
ce committee of the United States senate; Thorn
|. Carter, senator from Montana, has served ma
ears on the committee. No three men in the Unit
tates are better versed in postofice affairs a
eeds than these.
On February 9, 1911, the senate postoffice co
ittee, under the leadership of Senators Penrose a
arter, reported favorably to the senate for acti
le postoffice appropriation bill. It contained p
lsion, put in without allowing public hearing
pen consideration, but under political pressJ
'om the White House, that increases the postal re-
magazines and periodicals to such an extent tt
practically absorbs all the profits of the publlt
lg business of the country and makes the furti
OF popular priced magazines lmposs1b
imposes tax that is confiscatory.
Notwithstanding within the year SENATOR
BOIES PENROSE said referring to the
Carter Weeks bill:
These are some of the big features of the
bill. The whole intent is to systematic and
to modernize the entire postal system. It is
Idle to take up such questions as apportion-
ing the cost for carrying second class mail
matter or the proposed compensation of rail
roads for transporting the mails until we
shall have established business methods in
Fostofice affairs by a reorganization of the
whole postal system.
'sThe commission unanimously recon-
mended the passage of the projected bill.
Personally, L have been very much interest
ed IN all the details and of course, / am
heartily in favor Of the changes to be made.'
SENATOR CARTER said last March:
"But must forego further pursuit of de-
tails. The bill was cordially approved by
Postmaster General Meyer and his assist
ants and likewise has the approval of Post
master General Hitchcock. It failed Of pas
sage during the last congress owing to lack
of time for its proper consideration but [
have re-introduced the bill, which is now de-
signated senate 6287, second session sixty
-. first. congress. ssps, f.ses esEfztar}.
'.The committee on postoffices and post
roads will favorably report the bill to the
senate and it should be enacted to law before
tie close of this session. believe not only
that it will increase efficiency but that af-
ter the expense of installation is absorbed,
it will result in such economies in the admin
istration Of the department and service as
will era long wipe out the deficiency. In
operating under it the department will be
able with almost unerring certainty to de-
ter1nine the actual cost of each service per-
formed, thereby reaching sound basis for
legislation such as is neither available nor
obtainable under the present system.
''I deeply sympathize with the earnest
desire of the department officials to get rid
of the deficiency they are fated to encounter
each year, but I submit that the first real
movement toward that end must begin with
the substitution of modern, up-to-date
business organization for the existing anti
quated system, which rests upon a few sec
tons of law enacted in 1885, supplemented
by statutory fragments added from time to
time since that year.
JOHN WANAMAKER said recently:
'''With Mr.. Hitchcock suggestion, how
ever, there will be no general agreement. The
magazines are supported, 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 educational func-
ton To tax advertisements is to tax the
quality of educational matter contained in
the pages, for the advertisements enable the
publishers to pay high prices for literature
and educational articles
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