The Ordway new era., 1912-03-01
SERVICE
SHOWS A PROFIT
First Time in History, According
to Report of Cabinet
Officer.
RAISE IN RATES IS FAVORED
President coneurs In Recommends.
tion Of Commission on Second
Class Mall Matter-AeaIn sua-
0ests Adoption Of Parcel
Post System,

Class Mall Matter-AeaIn sua-
oests Adoption Of Parcel
Post System.
Washington. Feb. 22.-For the drst
time In the history Of the postal serv.
ice that department Of the government
showed q pront 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
4 OF last year and a brief message OF
the president, In which he called at
tention to the principal features OF the
two reports.
Would Increase Second-ciass Rates.
The report OF the commission on
second-class mail matter makes the
following Recommendations:
l. The rate Of 2 cents a pound on
copies mailed by publishers to sub
scrtbers. to news agents. and as SAM
pie copies. and by news agents to their
subscribers or to other news agents.
2. The rate of cent for each I
ounces for copies mailed by other
than publishers and news agents: that
u. the present transient rate.
| 3. The present free-in-county 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 ounces in
weight. and the 2-cent.a-copy rate for
periodicals exceeding ounces in
| weight. when mailed at q city letter
carrier once for local delivery. be
abolished.
As to the effect and adequacy OF the
proposed increase of cent q 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
ful news or Information. A reasonable
time should be allowed. after the rate
10 nxed. before It is put into effect
While the new rate will be very far
from compensating the government
for the carriage and handling OF sec
ond-clnss matter. It win to some ex-
tent relieve the existing burden and
result In q more equitable adjustment
Of rates"
Both the president and the postnas-
ter general concur in the recommenda-
tious and regarding the proposed in
I crease In newspaper postage the presi-
dent says: The proposed increase OF
cent a pound in the second-class
postage rate. l believe. to be most
reasonable. and II sufficient time IL Al
lowed before the change goes into ef-
feet Il should work little serious in.
Jury to the business Of the periodical
publishers. while equaliz,ng. at least
| In q measure, the burdens Of postal
taxation"
Rates Should Be More Equal.
Commenting further on the pro-
posed increase. the president says:
THE postal service 10 now. for the
nrst time in years. operated upon .
self.sustaining basis. and in my juds.
ment this is wise policy: but It
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. II Is not Just that
some classes Of mail should be ex.
brilliantly taxed to meet a deficiency
| caused by other classes. the revenue
from which is much below their cost
! Of handling and carriage. Where such
inequalities exist they should be re-
moved as early as practicable. The
business enterprises Of the publishers
| Of periodicals. however. have been
built up on the basis OF the present
| second-class rate. and therefore II
would be man!festly unfair to put into
| immediate effect q large increase In
postage. That newspapers and maya
sines have been potent agencies for
the dissemination OF public tntelii-
| gence and have consequently borne q
worthy part in the development Of the
country all must admit: but It is like
wise true that the original purpose OF
congress in providing for them q sub
vention BY way OF nominal postal
charSes In consideration OF their
\ value as mediums Of public informa-
ton ought not to prevent An increase.
because they are now not only educa-
tional but highly profitable. There II
no warrant for the great disparity be-
tween existing postage rates on Pc
riodicals and the cost Of the service
the government performs for them.
The aggregate postal revenues for the
f,scal year 1911 were s237 7.S7s.s23 50.
derived mainly from the postage COL.
lected on the four classes OF mail
matter. It Is carefully estimated by
the postothce department that the
revenue derived from mail matter Of
the nrss class 10 approximately one
and one-half times the cost OF han.
ding and carriage: that the returns