The Cairo bulletin., 1912-02-23
TAFT APPROVES
PLAN TO RAISE
POSTAGE Rate
New Plan Calls for Increase Of
Hundred Per Cent On News
papers and Periodicals
HIGHER PRICE SUGGESTED
HAchcock rendered -Four Cent
Rate, But President Cut Ito
Two Cent.
HIGHER PRICE SUGGESTED

Washington, Feb sa2,--President
Taft today approved and forwarded
" Congress- the report of the COM
mission on second class mall matter
recommending that tho postal rate
on magazines and newspapers be
raised from pne cent to two eents a
pound.
Postmaster General Hitchcock
originally recommended a four cent
rate, but later changed this to two.
The Commission finds that the cost
of handling second class matter ~
about FIVE and half cents pound.
In approving the two cent rate, how
ever President Taft declares that
the business enterprises of the pub
fishers OF periodicals. have been
built UP on the basis OF the one cent
rate ana therefore II worid be mani
festly unfair TO pat into immediate
leMcct i larger Increase In postage.
Will Not Cause Trouble.
j u. z I
Az to the effect eof the proposed
Increase from one to two cents a
pound President Taft quotes nom
the report OF the postal commission,
the following paragraph:
Such an increase will not, In the
opinlob Of the commission, bring
DISTRESS upon the publishers Of news
papers. and periodicals, or seriously
interfere with the dissemination of
useful news or information. A rea-
sonabie time should be allowed after
the rate Is fixed, before ii Is put into
effect While the: news rate will be
very far from oompensating the gov
ernment for the carriage and hand
ling Of second-elass matter. 1t will
to some extent relieve the existing
burden aud result in a more equit-
able adjustment of rates
That newspapers and magazines
have been potent agencies for the
dissemination OF public intelligence
and consequently have borne
worthy part III the development snf
the country, Mr. Taft says. all must
admit
'nut,' he adds ''it is likewise trlie
THAT the original purpose Of Congress
i In providing for tlfem suhyention
Of way Of nominal postal charges in
confederation Of their vaiue as
mediums Of public information ought
not TO prevent an Increase, because
they are now not only educational
{ but highly profitable. There is no
warrant for the great disparity be
tween existing postage rates on
periodicals and the cost Of the ser
vice the Government performs for
them The aggregate postal revenue
for the fiscal year 191t We're $2a7.-
S79, ,sP, 60, derived mainly from the
postage collected on the four classes
OF mail matter II Isl carefully esti-
mated by the postoffiee department
that the revenne derived from mail
| matter of the, first class Is approx
] mately one and one-haf times the
cost OF handling and carriage; that
| the returns from third and fourth
! class matter are slightly in excess Of
| their cost OF handling and carriage.
and that while second class matter
embraces over 65 per cent of the en-
tire weight of all the mailycarried. 1t.
nevertheless, yields little more than
s per cent Of the postal revenues"
I Commission Explained.
| The postal commission on second
class matter was appointed by Presi-
| dent Taft wollowing the controversy
1 caused by the Postmaster Generals
I original recommendation for the in
j crease in rates. The matter was
taken up by magazine publishers be-
fore committees OF Congress and a
4 sharp issue was raised as TO the eor-
I rectness OF the Postoffice Depart
ments figures Congress finally pass
| ed a joint resolution authorizing the
4 appointment of the commission
| WHICH was made UP of. Justice Charles.
! Z. Hughes. of the Supreme Court:
President An Lawrence lowell tof
Harvard University and Harry A
L -n1I1l fsannbaffAd N nnge III