Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-01-12
FIGHT on INCREASE
Higher Rates on Second-C Class.
Hail Opposed.
BULLETIN FROM PUBLISHERS
Postal Committee Of the A. N. p. >
Calls the Post Office : Badly
Managed Business.

Washington.-The protest Of TIE
publishers against the proposition to
increase second-class mail rates as
the congressional post Office commits.
sion desires is growing stronger daily.
The Illinois Daily Newspaper Publish
ers' association registered its objeo-
lions recently, and now the American
Newspaper Publishers associations
postal committee. Of which the chair,
maj 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 (William A. Ash
brook. chairman) concerning the vol.
ume. weight and handling of the out
put Of publications entered as mail
matter Of the secondclass for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1911:
Inquiry was made Of all publish.
ers, approximating thirty thousand, Of
which nearly seventeen thousand are
weekly publications.
more than ten thousand returns
we're received, embracing s~ixty-six
plus per cent. Of all tonnage Of pub
locations.
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, 0l2,-
COZ pounds.
They delivered by their own car
riers. newsboys, and news companies
S~40,466.6T 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, 1850 pounds,
and by other rail shipments 121.491,.
748 pounds. The rate by express and
rail varies from Y to / cent per
pound. but the bulk Of these ship
ments went At q rate Of Y to n cent
per pound.
Tho post Office for the year end.
ing June 30, 1911. handled 951. O01..
$50, and excluding one-half million
pounds free in county matter. It re.
ceived n cent per pound
All this goes to add to the alb
surdity Of the proposed Hitchcock leg
islation doubling the second-class rats
from one to two cents per pound, and
limiting the privilege to publications
that carry as much reading matter "a
they do advertising.
"The proposition was stupid enough
when the postal deficit reached ST.
000, 900 two years ago. It becomes
p%reposterous in face Of q surplus.
What business has q transporta-
ton corporation, which Is all the post
Office is. to prescribe how O 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 It Is not
"The post office is a badly man.
aged business. That Is all. We
should fight its dictatlon. its censor
ship and its ineflciency."