The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-02-23
TAFT OPPOSES GOVERNMENT
BUYING TELEGRAPH LINES
FAvoRs IN MESSAGE
INCREASE IN POSTAGE
Wouid Double Present Rate ef Trans
portation on Papers and Magazines.

.
Taft today approved and forwarded TO
congress the report OF the commission
on second-class mail matter and rec
ommending that the postal rate On
magazines and newspapers be raised
from one cent TO two cents a pound.
Postmaster General Hitchcock
originally recommended a four-cent
rate. but later changed this to two
The commission finds that the cost CT
handling second-class matter Is about
Eve and n half cents pound. In APP
proving the two-cent rate. however,
President Taft declares that the bust
ness enterprises of the publishers OF
periodicals have been built up on the
basis OF the one-cent rate and there
fore IL would be manifestly unfair to
put into immediate effect n larger in
crease in postage.
As TO the effect Of the proposed in
crease from one TO two cents a pound
President Taft quotes from the report
OF the postal commission the follow
ing paragraph:
Such an increase will not. in the
opinion OF the commission. bring dis
tress upon the publishers Of newspa-
| pers and periodicals or seriously inter.
fere with the dissemination OF useful
news or information. A reasonable
/ time should be allowed after the rate
Is fixed before 1t is put. into effect.
/ While the news rate will be very far
from compensating the government
Tor the carriage and handling OF sec
ondclass matter. 1t will TO some ex.
tent relieve the existing burdens and
! result in a more equitable adjustment
| of rates"
That newspapers and magazines
have potent agencies for the dissem.
/ nation OF public intelligence und CON
sequently have borne worthy part
IN the development of this country.
I MI. Tart says, all must admit
I But he adds. "it is likewise true
that the original purpose of Congress
IN providing for them a subyention
by way of nominal postal charges In
consideration of their value as medi-
ums OF public information ought not
10 prevent an increase. because they
are now not only educational but high
/ ly profitable. There Is no warrant
Tor the great disparity between exist
ing postage rates on periodicals and
the cost OF the service the Govern
ment performs for them. The aggTe-
gate postal revenues for the fiscal
year 1911 were S237 $40. 1923 So de-
rived mainly from The postage collect
ed on the four classes OF mail mat
ter II is carefully estimated by the
Post Office Department that the rev.
enue derived from mail matter of the
hrst class is approximately one and
one-half times the cost of handling
and carriage; that the returns from
= third and fourth class matter are
slightly in excess OF their cost Of
handling and carriage: and that
while second class matter embraces
over Go per cent of the entire weight
of all the mail carried. il. nevcrthe-
less. yields little more than . per
cent OF the postal revenues.
The postal commission on second
class matter was appointed by Presi-
dent TAFT following the controversy
caused by the postmaster general s
original recommendations for the in.
crease in rates. The matter was taken
up by magazine publishers before com
mittees OF congress aud a sharp issue
was raised as TO the correctness OF
the postOficc departments figures
congress finally passed a Joint reso-
luton authorizing the appointment OF
the commission which was made M
OF Justice Charles IT, Hughes. OF tho
supreme court. President \. Lawrence
Lowell. o: Harvard university. and
Harry y. Wheeler. president Of the
Chicago Association OF Commerce.
he findings Of the commission
says the President. confirm the view
Thar tn cost of handling and trans.
porting secnnd-class mail matter is
greatly in excess % the postage paid.
and that an increase in the rate is
not only justified by the facts. bu. is
desirable
Tho postal service is now. for the
hrst time N years. operated upon "a
self sustaining basis. and in my judg.
mont this IL a wise policy. but Il
should not be carried ont az tho OK.
P"nse OF certain classes Of mall matter
that pay revenue largcly In exccss 81
their cost u Is nor inst that some
Classes of mail should be- eNorbitanfly
taxed Go meet q dcfcicncv caused hy
other classes. tho revenue from which
is much below their cost az handI'a z
ana carriage Where such inequalities
'N-t They sh0u q be removed as carIy
as practicable
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