The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-03-04
RAISE POSTAL RATES
PRECEDENT coNcURs IN RECON-
MENpArioN REGARDING Gee
oND-cLASe MAIL.
SENDS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

TranDmlts Postmaster Generals Re.
port Which Shows Profit In Postal
r Department Tor First Time In Hts-
tery-Parcel Peat 10 Urged.
Warrington, Feb. IA raise In
the rate, on sscond-class mail matter
ID recommended in tho annual report
Of the postmaster general which was
transmitted to congress today, accom-
panied BY q special message from the
president. For the flrst time In the
history Of the department q profit u
shown for the, fiscal year ending June
30. 1911
l. Accommodating the document was
the report OF the commission on sec
ond-class mail matter appointed BY
Joint resolution Of congress on March
I Of last year and brief message OF
the president, In which he called At
tention to the principal features of the
two reports.
The report Of the commission. on
second-claaa mail matter makes the
following Recommendations
I. The rate Of cents q pound ON
copies mailed By publishers to sub
scribeFs. to news agents. and - sam
pie copies. and BY news .agentato their
subseribsrs, Or TO other news agents.
Z. The rate of ] cent for, each
ounces for copies mailed BY other
than publishers and news agents; that
10, the present transient rate
8. The present free-in-county priv
ilege retained, but not extended. &
The commission 4lso recommended
that, the cent,a-copy rate for newspa-
pers other than weeklies and for Pc
rfodicals not excseding 2 ounces in
weight, and the 2-cent-a-copy rate for
periodicals exceeding 2 ounces In
weight, when mailed at city letter
carrier ONCE for local delivery. be
abolished.
As to the effect and adequacy of the
proposed increase of cent q 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
| terfere with the dissemination of use
full news or information. A reasonable
time should be allowed. after the rate
Is fixed, before 1t 10 put into eject.
While the new rate will be very far
from compromising tho government
for the carriage and handling OF sec
ond-class matter, 1t 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 the recommends
lions.
| President TAFT again concurs In the
recommendation Of the Postmastss
General for tho adoption Of . parcel
post system, suggesting the inaugura'
ton Of such q service on rural routes
and In the city delivery, service nrst-
Hitchcock's recommendation fo'
government ownership Of the teIs
graph lines under the supervision o.
the postal service 10 not approved o.
by the president. Regarding this hs
says:
There ID only one Recommendation
in which can not asree-that u one
which recommends that the telegraph
lines In the United statea should b<
made = part Of the postal system and
/ operated in conjunction with the mai
, system. This presents question o.
government ownership Of public utili
ties which are now being conducted b.
private enterprise under franchises
from the government. believe tina
, the true principle IL that private en-
. terprise should be permitted to carr!
| on such public utilities under due regu
D lation as to rates BY proper authorit.
8 rather than that the government
. should itself conduct them. This prin
ciple favor because do not think 1
in accordance with the best public POI
icy thus greatly to increase the bod,
Of public servants"
The report Of the Postmaster Ger
: eral Is full of statements OF change
!, in the organization and methods Of tn
! postal service made since the last an
: nual report, and of tentative drafts
!, legislation embodying certain recon
? mendations Of the department whic
, need legislation to carry them out.
!, also calls attention to the fact tina
. the revenues for the fiscal year ende
June 80. 1911. amounted to $685.. 1878
$3.50 and that the expenditure
;. amounted to 1921. $50. 705.4S. making
;. surplus of $219.118.12.
The report shows that the posts
savings system was begun experimeI
u tally in January. 1911. and that 1t he
now been extended so as to includ
1850 presidential post Offices. whic
includes practically all Of the poi
ofices Of that class. Preparations ar
II also being made to establish the sy
- tenn at about 49, 900 fourth-class ONCE
4 The deposits in II months have reacl
9 cd a total Of $1,000, 900. distribute
8. among .2,710 national and state bank
Wonderful Experiences.
u when was out In the country la