Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-02-29
SERVICE
SHOWS A PROFIT
First Time in History, According
to Report of Cabinet
Officer.
RAISE IN RATES is FAVORED
President Concurs In Recommends.
ton OF Commission on Second
Class Mail Matter-Aealn sua-
gests Adoption of Parcel
Post System.

Washington, Feb. 22-For the first
time In the history of the postal serv-
Ice that department of the government
showed profit for the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1911, according to the |
annual report of Postmaster General |
Hitchcock transmitted to congress to- |
day Accompanying the document |
was the report of the commission on
second-class mail matter appointed by |
Joint resolution of congress on March |
OF last year and brief message of
the president. in which he called at
tention to the principal features OF the
two reports.
Would Increase Second-class Rates.
The report of the commission on
second-class mail matter makes the
following recommendations:
l. The rate of cents a pound on
copies mailed by publishers to sub
scribers, to news agents, and as sam
pie copies, and by news agents to their
subscribers or to other news agents.
2. The rate of l cent for each 4
ounces for copies mailed by other
than publishers and news agents; that
is, the present transient rate.
3. The present free-incounty priv
ilege retained, but not extended.
The commission also recommended
that the cent-a-copy rate for newspa-
pers other than weeklies and for pc
riodicals not exceeding 2 ounces In
weight, and the 2-cent-a-copy rate for
periodicals exceeding 2 ounces in
weight, when mailed at city letter
carrier office for local delivery. be
abolished.
AS to the effect and adequacy OF the
proposed increase of l cent pound
in postage the commission says:
Such an increase will not, in the
opinion of the commission, bring dis
tress upon the publishers Of newspa-
pers and periodicals, or seriously in
terfere with the dissemination OF use
full news or information. A reasonable
time should be allowed, after the rate
is fixed before II is put into effect
While the new rate will be very far
from compromising the government
| for the carriage and handling Of Sec
ond-class matter, 1t will to some ex-
tent relieve the existing burden and
result in a more equitable adjustment
of rates"
Both the president and the postmas-
ter general concur in the recommends
tons and regarding the proposed In
crease in newspaper postage the presi-
dent says: The proposed increase OF
/ cent pound in the second-class
postage rate, | believe, to be most
reasonable. and II sufficient time is al
lowed before the change goes into eff
feet it should work little serious in
Jury to the business of the periodical
publishers, while equalizing, at least
in a measure, the burdens of posta
taxation"
Rates Should Be More Equal.
Commenting further on the pro
posed increase. the president says
THE postal service is now, for The
first time in years. operated upon
self-sustaining basis, and in my 1udg
ment this is a wise policy; but l
should not be carried out at the ex
pense of certain classes of mail mat
ter that pay revenue largely In ex
cess of their cost 1t is not Just tina
some classes OF mail should be ex
brilliantly taxed to meet a deficienc,
caused by other classes. the revenu
from which is much below their cos
Of handling and carriage. Where sue
Inequalities exist they should be re
moved as early as practicable. Tn
business enterprises of the publisher
OF periodicals, however, have bee
built up on the basis of the presen
second-class rate, and therefore
would be manifestly unfair to put int
Immediate effect a large increase l
postage. That newspapers and mag'
zines have been potent agencies fc
the dissemination of public INTEL
gence and have consequently borne
worthy part In the development of tn
, country all must admit: but 1T is lik
wise true that the original purpose {
congress in providing for them SUI
yention by way OF nominal post;
charges in consideration of the
value as mediums Of public informs
ton ought not to prevent an increas
because they are now not only educ
. tional but highly profitable. There
q no warrant for the great disparity b
a tween existing postage rates on p
| rtOQ1CalS anu Tue COSl VI thC oti 4,
. the government performs for ther
The aggregate postal revenues for II
9 fiscal year 1911 were S237 ,S79. 1923 6
derived mainly from the postage &C
lected on the four classes of ma
matter. 1t is carefully estimated
the postoffice department that II
revenue derived from mail matter
the first class is approximately OF
and one-half times the cost OF ha
y ding and carriage; that the return
v from third and fourth class matter a
slightly in excess of their cost
handling and carriage; and that viii
second-class matter embraces over
, per cent. OF the entire weight OF Z
the mail carried. 1t, nevertheless
II yields little more than per cent.
e the postal revenues"
The commission on sccond-cla