The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-14
Our Political
PoStoffiCe

VOWOB HNo
John Wanamaker was postmaster general;
postofice committee of the United States SEN
ate; Thomas H. Carter, senator from Montana
has served many years on that committee No
three men in the United States arc better
versed in postofice affairs and needs than these.
On February 8, 1911 the senate postofice COM
mittee under the leadership of Senators Pen
rose and Carter reported favorably'so the sen-
ate for motion to postofice appropriation bill,
containing a provision, put in without allow
ing public hearing or even consideration, but
under political pressure from the White House,
that increases the postage fate on magazines
and periodicals to such an extent that it prac-
ticaTy absorbs all the profits of the publishing
business of the country and makes the further
production of popular priced magazines impos-
sible. 1t imposes a 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 systemic and 70
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 transport
ing the mails until we shall have established
business methods in postoffice affairs by reor-
ganiation of the whole postal system, The COM
mission unanimously recommended the passage
of the projected bill. Personally, ! have been
very much interested 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 details.
The bill was cordially approved by Postmaster
General Meyer and his assistants and likewise
has the approval of Postmaster General Hitch
cock It failed of passage during the last con-
gress owing to lack of time for it's proper con-
sideration but have reintroduced the BILL
which is designated senate 6287, second session,
sixty-irst congress- The committee on post
office and postroads will favorably report the
bill to the senate, and it should be enacted into
law before the close of this session. I believe
not only that it will increase efficiency, but that
after the expense of installation is absorbed 1t
will result in such economies in the admln1stra-
tion of the department and service as will ere
long wipe out the deficiency. In operating un-
der it the department will be able with almost
unerring certainty to determine the actual cost
of each service performed, thereby reaching
sound basis for legislation such is neither
available nor obtainable under the present sys-
tenn. I deeply sympathize with the earnest de-
sire of the department officials to get rid of
the deficiency they ale fated to encounter each
year, but submit that the first real movement
toward that end must begin with the substitu-
tion of modern, up-to-date business organza-
tion for the existing antiquated system, which
rests upon few sections CT law enacted in
1885, supplemented by statutory fragments
added from time to time since that year John
Wanalnaker said recently: With Mr. Hitch
cocks suggestion, however, there will be no
general agreement, The magazines are sup
ported not by the price paid for the magazine
by the readers, but by the advertisers In
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
contained in the pages, for the advertisements
enable the publishers to pay high prices for
literature anG educational articles. The price
paid for 9 magazine does not pay for the print
ing and the paper. If Mr. Hitchcocks sugges-
tion should become part of the presidents plan
it would mean that the public would suffer in
the loss Of much educational material that the
publishers then would be unable to buy We
urge every friend of honest politics, economical
government and a free press to telegraph or
write immediate protest TO their senators
and representatives at Washington.
The Curtis Publishing Co.
The Saturday Evening Post