Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-03-01
TAFT ASKS RAISE
IN POSTAL Rates
Urges Adoption Of Commits
sion's Recommendation On
Second-CIass Mail.
PROFIT IN POSTAL SERVICE
For the First Time in History the
Department Made Money-Adop-
ton Of Parcel Post System
Again Is Urged.

Again Is Urged.
washington, Feb. 22.-According III
the annual report of Postmaster Gen.
eral Hitchcock transmitted to con
gress today the postofice department,
for the first time in history, shows a
profit for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1911.
Accompanying the document was
the report Of the commission on sec.
ond-class mail matter appointed by
joint resolution of congress on March
4 of last year and a brief message of
h president, in which he called at
tention to the principal features of the
two reports.
Would Increase Second-CIsss 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
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 cen for each 4
ounces for copies mailed by other
than publishers and news agents; that
is, the present transient rate.
g. 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 2 ounces in
weight, and the 2-cent-a-copy rate for
periodicals exceeding 2 Ounces In
weight, when mailed at a city letter.
carrier office for local delivery, be
abolished.
AS to the effect and adequacy of the
proposed increase Of ! cent a 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
t~erfere with the dissemination of use
full news or information. A reasonable
time should be allowed, after the rate
is fixed, 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-class matter, it 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 h recommends
tons.
President Taft again concurs in the
recommendation of the Postmaster
General for the adoption of a parcel
post system, suggesting the Inaugural
ton of such a service on rural routes
and in the city delivery service first.
Ownership of Telegraph Opposed.
Hitchcock's recommendation for
government ownership Of the tele-
graph lines under the supervision ct
the postal service is not approved OF
by the president. Regarding this he
says:
There is only one recommendation
in which l can not agree-that is one
which recommends that the telegraph
lines in the United States should be
made a part of the postal system and
operated in conjunction with the mall
system. This presents a question OF
government ownership of public utill-
ties which are now being conducted by
private enterprise under franchises
from the government. | believe that
the true principle is that private en-
terprise should be permitted to carry
on such public utilities under due 6
lation as to rates by proper authority
rather than that the government
should itself conduct hem. This prln-
ciple I favor because do not think 1t
in accordance with the best public pol
icy thus greatly to increase the body
of public servants"
The report of the Postmaster Gen
eral is full of statements Of changes
in the organization and methods or the
postal service made since he last an
nual report, and Of tentative drafts or
legislation embodying certain recon-
mendations of the department which
need legislation to carry them out. IL
also calls attention to the fact that
the eyeuues for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1911, amounted to S237,S79,-
$3.50 and that the expenditures
amounted to 1921, $50, 705.4S, making a
surplus Of $219,11s.12.
The report shows that h postal
savings system was begun experiment
tally in January, 1911, and that 1t has
now been extended so as to include
T. 800 presidential post Offices, which
includes practically all of the post
offices of that class. Preparations are
also hong made to establish the sys-
ten at about 40, 00 fourth-class Offices.