Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-29
RAISE POSTAL RATES
PRESIDENT coNcURs IN RECON-.
MENDATioN REGARDING SEC.
oNp-cLAss MAIL.
SENDS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Transmits Postmaster Generals Re-
port Which Shows Profit In Postal
Department for First Time In HIs-
tory-Parcel Post 10 Uraed.

Washington. Feb. ga raise in
the rate on second-class mail matter
Is recommended in the annual report
Of the postmaster general which vas
transmitted to congress today, accom-
panied by q special message from the
president. For the first time In the
history OF the department a profit II
shown for the fiscal year ending June
80, 1911.
Accompanying the document was
the report OF the commission on sec.
ond. 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.
The report of the commission on
second. class mail matter makes the
following recommendations:
I. The rate Of 2 cents a pound on
copies mailed by publishers to sub
%scribers, to news agents, and as sam
pie copies, and by Jews agents to their
subscribers or to other news agents.
2. The rate Of l cent for each 4
ounces for copies mailed by other
than publishers and news agents: that
is, the present transient rate.
3. The present free-in-county priv
ilege retained, but not extended.
The commission also recommended
that the cent-acopy rate for newspa.
pers other than weeklles and for Pc
riodicals not exceeding 2 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 l cent a 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 is put into ehect.
While the new rate will be very far
from ~compensating the government
for the carriage and handling OF sec
ond.class matter, It will to some ex'
tent relieve the existing burden n
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 Postmaster
General for the adoption OF a parcel
post system. suggesting the Inaugural
ton of such n service on rural routes
and in the city delivery service hrst.
Hitchcock's recommendation for
government ownership OF the tele-
graph lines under the supervision OF
the postal service is not approved OK
by the president. Regarding this no
says:
There Is only one recommendation
In which | can not agree--that 10 one
which recommends that the telegraph
lines In the United States should be
made a part Of the postal system and
operated In conjunction with the mall
system. This presents a question OF
ownership OF public utili'
ties which are now being conducted by
private enterprise under franchises
from the government. ! believe that
the true principle Is that private en-
terprise should be permitted to carry
on such public utilities under due regu
lation as TO rates by proper authority
rather than that the government
should itself conduct them. This prin'
chile I favor because | do not think II
In accordance with the best public pol
Icy thus greatly to Increase the BODY
Of public servants"
The report OF the Postmaster Gen
eral ia full of statements or chaogef
in the organization and methods OF the
postal service made since the last an
nual report, and of tentative drafts OF
legislation e~mbodying certain recon
mendations of the department which
need legislation to carry them out. II
also calls attention to the fact that
the revenues for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1911, amounted to $237.s7s'
S23. go and that the expenditures
amounted to s237,6GO ,705.4s, making
surplus of $2lG,llS.l2.
The report shows shat the posta'
savings system was begun experiment
tally in January, 1911, n that 1t hai
now been extended SO as to include
1900 presidential post offices. which
includes practically all Of the pos
Offices of that class, Preparations arc
also being made to establish the sys
tenn at about 40, 900 fourth-class Offices