Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-03-01
POSTAL SERVICE
SHOWS A PROFIT
First Time In History, According
to Report Of Cabinet
Officer.
RAISE IN RATES IS FAVORED
President coneurs In Recommends
ton Of Commission on Second
Class Mail Mattsr-Aeain Suo-
gests Adoption Of Parcel
Post System

S1se~ I
Washington, Feb. 22.-For the first
time In the history OF the postal serv-
ice that department Of the government
showed . profit for the fiscal year
ending June 80. 1911. according to tho
annual report Of Postmaster General
Hitchcock transmitted to congress To-
day. Accompanying the document
was the report OF the commission on
seccnd-class mail matter appointed By |
joint resolution of congress on March ,
4 OF last year and a brief message OF |
the president, In which he called at
tention to the principal features OF the
two reports.
Would Increase ~second-ciass Rates. !
The report Of the commission on
secend-class mail matter makes the |
following recommendations:
4 The rate Of 2 cents q pound on
copies mailed by publishers to sub
scrfbers, to news agents. and as sam
pie copies. and by news agents to their
subscribers or to other news agents.
q The rate Of 1 cent for each 4
ounces for copies mailed by ether
than publishers and news agents: that
n, the present transient rate.
B. The present fr~ee-in-county priv.
flege retained. but not extended.
The commission also recommended
that the ~cent-a-copy rate for newspa-
~~~ ~khna %ho~ xvAA1rIfoa and Rnxs M
rfodicals not exceeding Q ounces in
weight, and the 2-cent-a-copy rate for
periodicals exceeding 2 ounces in
weight, when mailed at a city letter.
carrier, Office 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 SLOWED. after the rate
IB uXCu, UClOI0 A. 80 RhS INV SAS~ss
while the new rate win be very far
from compromising the 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 and regarding the proposed In
crease in newspaper postage the prest
dent says: THE proposed increase OF
1 cent a pound In the second-class
postage rate, l believe, to be most
reasonable. and II sufficient time is al
lowed before the change goes into ef
feet It should work little serious n
fury to the business Of the periodical
publishers, while equalizing, at least
In a measure, the burdens of postaI
LEGATION"
Rates Should Be More Equal.
commenting further or the pro
posed increase, the president says
''Tho postal service is now, for the
frst time in years. operated upon
demonstrating basis, and In my 5udg
ment this Is a wise policy: but
should not be carried out at the ex
pense Of certain classes OF mail mat
tev that pay revenue largely m e1
cess Of their cost. 1t is not just tina
some classes Of mail should be ez
orbitantly taxed to meet a deficienc,
caused by other classes. the revenu
b which is much below their cos
Of handling and carriage. Where sue
INEQUALITIES exist they should be n
moved as early as practicable. Tn
business enterprises of the publisher
of periodicals, however. have bee
hulN up on the basis of the presen
second-class rate, and therefore
woald be manifestly unfair to put int
Immediate effect q large increase !
hostage. That newspapers and mag
zines have been potent agencies fe
the dissemination Of public INTEL
sence and have consequently borne
worthy part in the development OF tn
cmntry all must admit; but 1t Is Tx
wise true that the original purpose
CONGRESS in providing for them a su
xention by way Of nominal post
cbsrges in consideration Of the
value as mediums Of public inform
tsoo ought not to prevent an increas
because they are now not only educ
t,onal but highly profitable. There
NO warrant for the great disparity .
tween existing postage rates on ?
r,cdicals and the cost Of the servi
the government performs for the
Tbe aggregate postal revenues for Il
tscal year 1911 we're 1921. $685.
derived mainly from the postage O
tected on the four classes OF M
matter. It is carefully estimated
the ~postofice department that I
a revenue derived from mail matto4
"A the Arst class is approximately o
Al and one-half times the cost OF nj
Icl dling and carriage; that the retur
from third and fourth class matter
slightly in excess Of their cost
handling anc carriage; and that WI
second-class matter embraces over
gper cent. OF the entire weight or
In. mail carried. 1t, nevertheless
kaelds little more than 5 per cent