The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-02-22
TAFT
CONTINUED from page one.l

1ish service at any smaller rate than
the public are now required to pay BY
private companies.
j cannot speak with too great empha.
sis OF the Improvement in the postofEice
department under the present manage.
dmentsniThe QUITTING down of cost, the
shortening ofmethods and the incfease
11s efielency areshown by the statistics
/ 0ethaannual rep0rtsi }:.11RHeaeS. go
sjOne1of the.most important matters
I7teferedct to by the postmaster genera
IS the proposed fixing Of new rates Of
pobtage!F Tor second class mail matter.
IN cohneGtlon with this subject / have
me hoa6ru Go qransmit herewith the re- 4.
! port ofItheD commission on second Class
mail hmhtter,s appointed pursuant to d
joint resolution Of the Sixty.frst con.
gress, approved March 4. 1911. q
The commission consists Of Hon.
Charles 3. Hughes, associate Justice
Of the supreme court of the United
States; President A. Lawrence Lowell
Of Harvard university and Mr.. Harry
A. Wheeler, president of the AssoclaL
ton Of Commerce Of the city Of Chi.
cago, whose character. ability and ex.
perlence command for. their findings
and recommendations the respect and
confidence of the congress and the
country.
The report discloses a most exhaus.
tive and critical inquiry into the sub
iect of second class mpil matter after
adequate notice to ALL the parties in
interest. Extensive hearings were held
by the commission. at which the post.
master general and the second and
third assistant postmasters general up,
peared and submitted formal sttte,
ments presenting the various contens
ations Of. the postoflce department. to.
Gether with all the relevant official
data and evidence relating to these6st
Of handling and TRANSPORTING second.
class mail matter. Cert4in of theiead.
ing magazines we're represented BY
counsel. while. various other publica.,
tons appeared by Representatives and
were heard in oral argument or.permlts
ted to submit written briefs setting
forth their respective reasons for on.
posing change ip'the present postage
rate on second. class malt The second
and third assistant postmasters gen.
eral. together with minor ,oficerssof the.
department, were critically cross exam.
ined by the counsel and representa-.
tiVes Of the periodicals. and all the.
various phases Of the second class post.
age problem were made the subject Of
most painstaking investigation.
Says increase 10 Justified. ~
The findings of the commission con.
firm the view that the cost Of handling
and transporting second class mail
matter is greatly in excess of the post.
age paid and that an increase in the
rate is not only justified by the facts,
but is desirable. n RI
The commission reports, that the eyi.
'dence submitted for its consideration is
sufficient to warrant a finding ofthe-
approT tmate cost OF handling and
transporting the several classes of=sec..
ohd' class smair known as paid Mt the
pound rate. free III county and tran.
Z siert niatter in SO taf as relates to the
services OF transportation. postofiice
chrsj tatlway distribution, rural deliv.
cry and certain other items ofscost, but
that it's without adequate data to de.
tetmine the cost OF the general post
office service and also what portion of
the cost Of certain other aggregate
services is properly assfgnable to sec.
ond class mail matter. 1t finds that in
the fiscal year 1908, the period for
which the statistics for the postofice
department were compiled, the cost of
handling and transporting second class
mail in the items of transportation.
postoflce cars, railway distribution, ru.
raj delivery and certain miscellaneous
charges was approximately 0 cents a
pound for paid. at the pound ratio mat.
ter and for free in county and transient
matter each approximately cents
pound and that upon this basis, MS
nodded by subsequent reductions IN
the cost Of RAILROAD transportation, tie
cost Of paid at the pound rate matter
for the services mentioned is now an.