The Nevada County picayune., 1912-01-05
FIGHT 0N INCREASE
Higher Rates on Second Class
 Mail Opposed.
BULLETIN FROM PUBLISHERS
PSetaI Committee of the A. N. p. A. Calls the Post Office a Badly
 Managed Business.

NasnlnBton--Ine protest or the publishers against the proposition to increase secoad-clasa nal rates as the congressional post office comDis- sion desires is growing stronger daily. The Illinois Daily Newspaper Publish CTS association registered its objec- tions recently, and now the American Newspaper Publishers associations postal committee, of which the chair man Is Don c. Seitz of the New York World, has issued the following bull ietin:
 The extent 10 which the post office department does not carry SOC one-class matter is well revealed in the following abstract of inquiry of publishers conducted by house com mittee on expenditures in the post office department (William A. Ash brook. chairman) concerning the vol une, weight and handling of the out put of publications entered as mail matter of the second-class for tn fiscal year ending June 30, 1911
 " Inquiry was made of all publish CTS, 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.
 Tho publications reporting repre- gent an annual output of more than six and one-half billion copies, the quarter billion pounds.
 ""These publications delivered by mail in such period weighed 633,012 902 pounds
 They delivered by their own car riers, newsboys, and news companies SAC, ,466.57 pounds. of which an unas- certained percentage was carried to destination by express and other rail shipments outside the mail. They de- liyered by express, POP, ,729, ,510 pounds, and by other rail shipments 121, ,491,- 74S pounds. The rate by express and rail varies from F to 1 cent per pound, but the bulk of these ship ments went at rate of 4 to la cent per pound.
 :" The post office for the year end 669, and excluding one-half million pounds free in county matter, 1t re- eeiyed one cent per pound.
 All this goes to add to the ab- .urdity of tho prppocad Hitchcock Iap. lslation doubling the second-class rate from one to two cents per pound, and limiting the privilege to publications that carry as much reading matter as they do advertising.
 "The proposition was stupid enough when the postal deficit reached ST. 00O 900 two years ago. It becomes preposterous in face of surplus.
 What business has transporta- ton 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.
 Tt 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 privilege" The figures show it is not.
 The post office is a badly man. aged business. That is all. We should fight its dictation. it's censor ship and its inefflciency."