The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-02-14


versed i'm postofice affairs and needs than these
On February 9, 1911, the Senate Postoffice @
mttee, under the leadership of Senators Penn
and Carter, reported favorably to the Senate for
ton the Postofice Appropriation bill, containin
provision, put i'm without allowing public hearing
open consideration, but under political press
from the White House, that increases the post
rate on magazines and periodicals to such an ext
that it practically absorbs all the profits of the
fishing business of the country and makes furt
production of popuar-priced magazines impossi
1t imposes a tax that is confscatory. .........
Notwithstanding, Wi thin the year Senator B,
Penrose said, referring to the Carter Weeks bill
"These are some of the big features
of the bills The whole intent is to sys-
tematize and to 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 rail
roads for transporting the mails until
we shall have established business
methods in postoffice affairs by re-
organization of the whole postal sys-
tenn lti
"The commission unanimously re-
commended the passage of the project
ed bill. Personally / have been very
much interested i'm all the details and
of course, am heartily in favor of the
changes to be made.
Senator Carter said last March,
"But l must forego further pursuit
of details The bill was cordially ap-
proved by Postmaster General Meyer
and his assistants, and likewise has the
approval of Postmaster General Hich-
cock. 1t failed Of passage during the
last Congress owing to the lack OF time
for it's proper consideration, but have
raint rOducad tho hill which ic nOw
designated Senate 6287, Second Ses-
sion, Sixty-first Congress. The Com
mittee on Postoffces and POstrOads will
favorably report the bill to the Senate,
and it should be enacted into law be-
fOrenthe close of this session. / believe
not only that it will increase efficiency,
but that, after the expense of installa-
ton is absorbed, it will result in such
economies in the administration of the
department and service as ere long wipe
out the deficiency. In operating under
it the department will be able with al
most unerring certainty to determine
the actual cost of each service perform
ed thereby reaching a sound basis for
legislation such as is neither available
nor obtainable under the present sys.
tenn.
81 deeply sympathize with the earn
est desire of the department officials
to get rid of the deficiency they are fat
ed to encounter each year, but / sub
nit that the first real movement to-
ward that end must begin with the sub
stitution of modern, up-to-date bust
ness organization for the existing an
tiquated system which rests upon a
few sections of law enacted in 1885,
suppementer by statutory fragments
added from time to time since that
year"
John Wanamaker said recently:
"With Mr.. Hichcock's suggestion,
however, there will be no general agree
ment. The magazines are supported,
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 func-
ton to perform--an educational func-
ton. To tax the advertisements is to
tax the quality of the educational mat
ter contained in the pages, for the adj
vertisements enable the publishers to
pay high prices for literature and edu-
cational articles. The price paid for
magazine does not pay for the printing
and the paper. If Mr.. Hichcock's sug-
gestion should become part of the Z
presidents plan it would mean that the -
public would suffer in the loss of much
educational material that the publish