Arizona republican., 1912-02-23
President Forwards Report of Commission on Second Class Matter to Congress With His Stamp of Ap- proval.
TWO CENTS A POUND
 FOR PERIODICALS
Chief Executive Aruges That New Rate Will Not Bring Hardship to Maga- zine and Newspaper Pub fishers.
T1ss0ciatcd Press DiSbatchl l

THssociatcd Press DiSPatchl
 WASHINGTON. Feb. 22.-President Tart today approved and forwarded to congress the report of the commission on second class mail matter, recoln- mending that the postal rate on maga- zines and newspapers be raised from one cent to two cents pound.
 Postmaster General Hitchcock orig jnallv recommended a four cent rate, hut later changed this to two. The commission finds that the cost Of handling second class matter is about five and a half cents q pound. In ap- moving the two cent rate, however President Taft declares that the busi- ness enterprises of the publishers ol Deriodicals have been built up on the basis of the one cent rate and there fore it would be manifestly unfair t" mt into immediate effect a lIrSer in crease in postage.
 As to the effect of the proposed in crease from one to two cents a pound President Taft quotes from the report of the postal commission the following paragraph:
 .Suril an increase will not, in the
 
 oninion of the commission, bring dis tress upon t..e publishers of news papers and periodicals. or seriously in- ,arfarA with the dissemination of use rul news or information. A reason able time should be allowed after the rate is fixed, before it is put into ei- feet. While the new rate will be very far from compensating the govern mont for the carriage and handling or sacond class matter. it will to some extent relieve the existing burden and -as,,It in q more equitable adjustment of rates
 That newspapers and magazines have been potent agencies for the dis semination of public intelligence and consequently have borne worthy mart in the development of the coun- trv Mir Taft says. all must admit
 But" he adds, it is likewlse true that the original purpose Of congress in providing for them subVentloh DE WAY of nominal postal charges m con sideration of their value as mediums of public information ought not 10 prevent an increase. because they are now not only educational but hlShl! nrofitable. There is no warrant TOT inc great disparity between existing hostage rates on periodicals ana the cost of the service the government ,,arfo,.,ns for them. The aggregate nostaI revenues for the fiscal year 1911 wore s237. .S79. .S23.60, derived mainly from the postage collected on the loui classes of mail matter. It IS careiuliH estimated by the postoitlce depart ment that the revenue derived lrohi mail matter of the first class IS ap- proximately one and one-half tunes the cost of handling and carnage that the returns from third and fourth class matter are slightly in excess ol their cost of handling and carnage and that while second class matter embraces over 65 per cent of the en- fire weight of all the mail carried, H. nevertheless. yields little more than per cent of the postal revenues.
 The postal commission on secolo class matter was appointed by fresl- dent Taft following the controNers! caused by the postmaster general original recommendations for the n- crease in rates The matter was taken mn bv magazine publishers before cohl- mittees of congress and sharp issue was raised as 10 the correctness ol the postofice departments flgures Congress finally passed joint reso- lution authorizing the appointment ol tho commission which was made up o Justice Charles E. Hughes, of the sunreme court; President A. Lawrence
 a~J rlnTNarGltN Harry A. Wheeler, president or u' Chicago association of Commerce
 "The findings of the commlssion' says the president, "confirm the NleV that the cost of handling and trans porting second class mail matter greatly in excess of the postage pald and that an increase in the rate ' not only justified by the facts, put ! desirable.
 The postal service is now, TOT LII first time in years, operated upon seIf-sustaining basis, and in my Judg ment this is a wise policy; but ebouId not be carried out at the eX neuse of certain classes of mall mat ter that pay revenue largely m eAees of their cost It is not Jsut mat soiil classes of mail should be eXoroitahtl taxed to meet deficiency caused other classes. the revenne from whle is much below their cost of handiin and carriage. Where such inequahtle exist they should be removed as carr as practicable
 The proposed increase or one cen a pound in the second class postas
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