The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1911-04-27
HOW MIR. WATSON REGARDS THE
PROPOSED INCREASE IN MAG
AZINE POSTAL RATES.

prised to read in the weekly jeff, of
a few weeks ago, your views On the
Hitchcock plan to increase postage
rates on magazines. | cannot agree
with the position you take. few
of the magazines, no doubt, make
great profits on their advertising con-
tracts; but Hitchcock's scheme is not
justified by this fact. We all know
that there is no just reason for any
deficit in the postal department of
our government. The pOstoffice de-
partment would show surplus if
we had a business management Of
the postal service. The fact is, the
Express trust has a strangle hold on
our postoffice department, and has
had, through corrupt officials, for SO
long that the Express companies are
growing rich from the business
that lawfully belongs to the govern
ment. Special privileges allowed these
corporation cormOrants by the sub
SERVANT tools of the Express trust
have resulted in huge fortunes for
the Express companies with scarcely
any original capitaD while the post
office department habitually reports
a big deficit. Let the government
come into possession of it's own, by
refusing Express companies the spec
ial privilege of carrying "packets"
and make the maximum limit eleven
pounds, instead of four; then you
will see the postoffice department
making a profit and the robber rates
of the express companies practically
destroyed-the postoffice department,
by real Parcels Post, will be Civ
inc tho nnnn1n hnttnr CnrUi0n at lass
cost. So let us not tax our maya
zines for this deficit, but make the
Express companies quit doing gov
eminent business.
| believe that the postoffice de-
partment is the rottenest branch of
the government service. If it is in
vestigated by the present special ses-
sion of Congress, as it should be,
from bottom to top especially the
spy system), am confident the
country will be astounded at the cor
ruption that exists; but which inves-
tigation has always been warded off
by the "watchdogs" for the Express
trust I am enclosing you few
clippings giving some information
(facts) which would indicate the
duty of Democracy to thoroughly in
vestigate the political clearing house
of the G. o. P.-for that is what the
postoffice department has become.
There is evidence enough in exist
ence, ready for any Congressional
committee of investigation, and true
Democrats with a little d. lovers
of liberty and fair play everywhere
should demand this investigation.
Get at the bottom of the deficiency
in the mail service and there will
be no need of taxing magazines with
a higher postage. But watch the
Express trusts agents, alias Con
gressmen,' try to prevent the facts
from being known.
J. l.. KILLER.
Standardville, Va.
Answer.
With most of what Professor Kib-
Ter advocates, | am in the heartiest
sympathy. But when the big national
magazines and farm papers load
down the mail-clerk, the mail-car and
the postoffice with hundreds of thous-
ands of tons of advertising matter,
paid for by the advertisers at fabul-
Gus prices, why should this COM
mercial matter be transported at the
expense of the people?
The big magazines, and the big
Northern farm-papers get thousands
of dollars, per page for the space