The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-22
POSTAL MESSAGE
BY PRESIDENT
Today by Mr.. TAFT With Annual
Report Of the De.
partment.
DEFICIT IS WIPED OUT
President Does Not Approve of Plan
to Add Telegraph Business Of
the Country TO the
Postoffices.

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.
WASHINGTON Feb. 22.-President
Taft is "agin" government ownership
iof telegraphs, the pet project of Post
master General Hitchcock. Today the
president aired his views on the mat
ter in a special message to congress,
submitting the report of the postap
commission, approving it's recommen-
dation that rates on newspapers and
magazines be doubled, from one to
two cents pound.
Doubling of the second class mail
rates would cost publishers from sew
en- million to ten million more annu-
ally. But the increased rates would
still be only about one-third of the
cost of the handling. The message,
with the commissions report. is a hef-
ity little package of about $4,000
words-ope of the bulkiest message
jobs Taft has done In lambasting gov
ernment ownership Taft says: II can
not agree with the recommendation
(Hitchcock's) that the telegraph lines
be made part of the postal system
| believe the true principle ia that
private ownership should carry on
such public utilities, under due regu-
lation of rates. rather than that the
government itself should conduct
than n In ~ ;p1-
nnce with the best public policy thus
greatly to increase the body of public
servants"
Taft takes out the sting however,
by fulsome praise OF Hitchcock.s ad-
administration, stating he hesrtily con.
ours with the recommendation OF
Hitchcock and the postal commission
to boost the newspaper and magazine
mailing rates.
The commission, which held many
public hearings and dug deep in postal
records. says it costs about Az cents
a pound to carry newspapers and
magazines. He says this mail embraces
itwo-thirds of all mail matter, but furn.
ishes only five per cent of postal reye
nues.
Taft and the commission declare
against discrimination against news.
papers and magazines in raising rates
and also in charging extra for bulky
advertisements in magazines. The flat
rate of two cents pound to be made
with plenty of notice in advance is
unanimously agreed on as solution,
with the balance of cost of carrying as
a subsidy in the interest OF public edu-
cation.
Extension of the plan to ship maya
zines by freight instead of mail to de-
crease costs is recommended. Contin-
Iuance of free county circulation for
small country newspapers also is rec,
commended.
The commission expresses the belief
that the railroads are charging the
government exorbitant rates for carry
ing the mails and urges a federal in
lvestigation.
The message begins as follows:
in transmitting the annual report
of the postmaster general for the fis-
cal year ended June 80, 1911, it gives
me pleasure to call attention to the
fact that the revenues for the fiscal
year ended June. 80, 1911, amounted to
s237,ST9,S2S.50 and that the expendi.
lures amounted to S237, sec, ,TO5 AZ.
making a surplus of s219,11S.12. For
the year ended June 30, 1909, the pos
tai service was in arrears to the ex-
tent of s1z.479,770.447. In the inter
val this very large deficit has been
changed into surplus and that with
out the curtailment of postal facilities.
Indeed, in the same time there have
been established 3,744 new postoffices.
delivery hy carrier provided in 1S6 ad.
ditional cities and new rural routes
established 2,516 in number and ag-
gregating 6O,679 miles in extent. The
force of postal employees has been in.
creased by more than 5000. and a
liberal policy in the matter Of salaries
has been followed, so that the amount
expended for salaries is now $4,000
900 more than two years ago. The av-
erage salary has been increased from
1868 to 1867 for, rural carriers, s979 tc
s1,0S2 for postoffice clerks, s1O21 to
s1,0s4 for city letter carriers, and
s1.16S to s1.1S3 for railway postal
clerks
"The report shows that the postal
savings system was begun experiment
tally in January, 1911. and that it has
now been extended SO as to include
$500 presidential postoffices, which
includes practically all of the postof-