Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-12-28
Congress Always on Trail of De-
partment.
Mr.. IiitchcOck's Plan 10 Inorcasc post
nSc ON magazines Meets Oppost-
tion--Movc to Save sD,OOO,OOo
ON Railway Wall


tho President Is out Of town. the sepnte
adjourned until Monday and the House Of
| Representatives inspecting the Panama
canal he who would find something that
is doing has only to remember that Mr.
Hitchcock and his great public service
corporation Is always ready at hand. The
number or people whose object in Wash
ington Is to soak the postoffice' is sur
pI1singly large. They are at It summer
and winter. and from what one hears in
side as well az outside Of Legislative halls.
the present season Is no exception to the
general rule.
To be specific. Congress--at least the
democratic members OF Congress, Is maxi
ing two serious criticisms Of the depart
ment. Tho first is not SO much against
the department itself as it is against a
policy of the depa rtment-the obstinat
desire Of the administration to increase
the postage rates on magazines and news
papers. The Hughes postal commission.
for which $4,000 WAS appropriated last
March Was due to report on the first of
December. If 1t did report at that time
us findings have not generally been made
publtc-0a fact in itself worthy Of censure
from those who like to see things done
on time. If the Hughes postal commits
sloh' again. has been represented ac-
curately. by the occasional rumors which
announce that II VIII recommend an In
creased rate for sccond-class mail matter
then all WOuld-be critics will certainly
fly to arms The only thing which Will
ever make the commission (of which, by
the way, President Lowell of Harvard
Is member) genuinely popular, would
he an Immediate report recommending
that the rates stay as they are. 1t is
more than likely that the findings Of the
very rigid scrutiny by Mr. Ashbrooks
committee, which has some decided IDEAS
Of its own on the subject
NINE MILLION IN RAILWAY MAIL.
Tie other matter which probably will
form the basis Of hearings to which Mr.
Hitchcock and other distinguished citi-
zens will be invited is the railway mail
service. few days ago 1t was an
nounced in the papers that the postoffice
department wac at last upon a paying
basis-an announcement which was by
no means new, since 1t has been maue
almost monthly by the department for the
last two years-and that the postoff1ce de-
partment contemplated saving 80, 900 OOD a
year in the single item of the railway
mail service. There is u little story be-
hind this announcement which Is worth
narrating. on tho Bird of Marcu, 1879. a
law was written upon the statute books
Of the United States which provided that:
The postnaster-General shall request all
railroad companies transporting the mails
h. under dat LOT tn
10 the operating. receipts and expendi-
lures Of such roads as may, in his judg-
mcnt be deemed necessary to enable him
TO ascertain the costs of mail transporta-
tion and the proper compensation TO be
paid for the same; and he shall, in his
annual report to Congress. make such
concentrations, founded on the infor-
nation under this section as shall, in his
opinion be lust and equitable
HiTCilCOCE REEVES ANCIENT
LAW.
This law. a. has been said was passed
about - years ago. For some reason
which Il IS possible. but not necessary, to
sirmsc. 1t lay fallow during that long
time. From all available evidence no
postmaster general uul Mr. Hitchcock
came along ever asked the railroads to
send in the required facts How much
the United States government.has enent
during that third Of century which it
might have saved can bc imagined better
than IT can De calculated. Gut bygones
are bygones and the railroads have at
last obeYed the law of l>-9
As the result of tho inquiry. mos. inn
portau, and far-reachir@ change. N tho
postal service viii he made. II appears
that tie performance of mail service at
the present rates Is profitable to many
companies and not to others. It also ap-
pears that the government is paying in
excess over cost and per cent profit
about 100000 year: that in cases
where railroad companies are CARRYING
the mail at a profit the per cent. of profit
over IN" cost of performing the service
varies in almost every instance. and that
where railroad companies are CARRYING
the mails at n loss, the per cent of loss
compared with the cost of performing the
service varies in the samemanner The post
office very naturally and Justly concludes
from these facts that a fiat rate Of de-
crease or Increase applied to all roads
equally would not be just. and 1t there
Iore recommends an elaborate plan which
VIII insure payment at an ascertained,
known. and reasonable rate for services
performed, putting at rest the question
or overpayment or adequacy or made
quacy OF the rates
RAILROADS MUST FILE STATE
MENTs.
The plan is. in brief, for the postoffice
department and the railroads to cooper
ate much more closely than ever before.
The railroads will be required by law to
ME Information regularly in Washington
relative to the carriage of the mail Tho
railways will be required to equip and
iurnlsh their cars so as to insure the
SAFETY OF the clerks; the postmaster-gen-
eral will decide in all cases upon what
trains and in what manner the malls
shall be conveyed. and the government
employees VIII check up the information
which the railways furnish to the depart-
ment A radical suggestion in the scheme
Is that 1t should be made unlawful for
any railroad company to carry the malls
al OF Ter than the rates which the gov
eminent speeches. In certain instances
the power OF the Interstate Commerce
Commission will be invoked to carry out
ton cooperation which the railroads
might well at first regard as an infringe
ment upon their private rights. but which
the postmaster general seems to believe
L. logical development of their function
an public service corporations
HTpg1, GJnNS nL, u,I1ur r.nS-,,,