The searchlight., 1912-01-05
FIGHT ON INCREASE
Higher Rates on Second Class.
Mail Opposed.
BULLETIN FROM PUBLISHERS
Postal Committee Of the A. N. p. A.
Calls the Post Once . Badly
Managed Business.

Washington.-The protest of the
publishers against the proposition to
increase second-class mail rates az
the congressional post once commits
sion desires Is growing stronger daily.
The Illinois Daily Newspaper Publish
ers' association registered it's objec-
tions recently, and now the American
Newspaper Publishers associations Q
postal committee. of which the chair.
man is Don c. Seitz Of the New York
World. has issued the following bull
letin:
The extent to which the post
office department does not carry Sec
ond-class matter Is well revealed In
the following abstract OF inquiry Of
publishers conducted by house CON-
mittee on expenditures in the post
office department civilian A. Ash
brook. chairman) concerning the vol
ume. weight and handling Of the out
put OF publications entered as mail
matter OF the second-class for the
fiscal year ending June 30. 1911:
Inquiry was made Of all publish
ers. approximating thirty thousand. Of
which nearly seventeen thousand are
weekly publications.
More than ten thousand returns
were received. embracing sixty-six
plus per cent Of all tonnage Of pub
lications.
The publications reporting repre-
sent an annual output OF more than
six and one-half billion copies, the
weight of which was one and three
quarter billion pounds.
"'These publications delivered by
mail In such period weighed 633.O12..
9O2 pounds.
They delivered by their own car.
riers. newsboys. and news companies
S40.466.574 pounds. OF which an unas-
certained percentage was carried to
destination by express and other rail
shipments outside the mail. They de-
livered by express. 202. .729.5l0 pounds,
and by other rail shipments l.49l..
74S pounds. The rate by express and
rail varies from Y to cent per
pound. but the bulk Of these ship
ments went at a rate Of Y to VI cent
per pound.
The post Office for the year end
ing June 80. 1911. handled 95l, ,00l.-
669. and excluding one-half million
pounds free In county matter. II re-
ceived one cent per pound
"All this goes TO add to the alb
surdity of the proposed Hitchcock leg.
islation doubling the second-class rate
from one to two cents per pound. and
limiting the privilege to publications
that carry as much reading matter az
they do advertising.
"The proposition was stupid enough
when the postal deficit reached ST..
100000 two years ago. II becomes
preposterous in face OF q surplus.
What business has transporta.
tion corporation. which is all the post
Office is, to prescribe how a business
shall be conducted?
Newspapers cannot afford to ex.
pand their columns beyond the call
Of the days news. nor can they be
expected to control the requirements
of their advertisers who have a right
to reach the public as copiously as
they care to.
1t cannot be assumed that such
Legislation will ever get by congress.
But publishers are requested to fight
the theory that the right to send their
output by mail Is a privilege" The
figures show IL Is not
"The post Office Is badly man
aged business. That Is all We
should fight its dictation. its censor.
ship and It's ineflciency."