Evening journal., 1915-08-09
By LOWELL MELLETT.
Jnited Press STAFF Correspondent.


WASHINGTON. Aug 9.-"What do
you want to talk about?" asked the
Postmaster General
"Politics."
~Nothing DOING said the Postmaster
General, cordially.
"Why notY'
~ absolutely can't. won't and shant
talk politics" said Mr.. Burleson Try
something else"
"An right. but why do they call you
the politician of the cabinet ?"
90 suppose that is because you writing
people have to coin catch phrases TO de-
scribe. catalogue. classify and in some
degree dramatize public men in the pub
JIG eye That's only my opinion. You
folks did it and ought to know why
Speaking of politics "
I'VE aren't speaking of politics" said
the Postmaster General
What mean- this holler in the
rural districts about restrictions OF the
rural free delivery"
The Postmaster General had been al
least half interested III the papers on his
desk, but now he swung sharply around
in his chair. He removed his nose glasse;
probably to save them from the heat
of the sudden blaze in his ewes.
"There has been no restriction Who
says there has been? A revision Is
under way which gives service to many
hundreds thousands who are entitled t.
it. but heretofore have been denied it
This is being done without increasing
the cost of the postal service and with
ont taking away service from anyon,
who now has it, It is accomplished viii
money saved by eliminating waste cf
fort. extravaganza. special favors AM
privileges.
".Iust for example: Parts Of hundred
of rural routes have been Travelled daily
by two or more rural carriers. There arr
eases in which as many as six or sever
carriers. each getting from $1,000 +,
81 POO a year have heen going over th'
same eight or ten miles of road Poll
tics. This vicious duplication of servic,
was built up through a series Of year
hv political influence. BY cutting on
these Implications we get balance
available for service in territory that
has long deserved it.
Between April l and July 10 the re
adjustment of the rural service and in
aueuration OF motor vehicles service
left 1921 .75i for establishing new
routes. With part of this money 73'
new routes have been put in operation
serving s5,I4s additional families, o
42s.74O additional persons"
"Nhat of your fight with the rail
roadsS'
81 wouldn't call it a fight
ITO an innocent newspaper reader it
looks"
mo, it isn't a fight The question o.
railway mail pay is purely and solely a
business question to be decided on its
merits after thorough sitting, delibera-
ton and analysis of the facts. The
department desires to pay rate reas-
onably compensatory to the railroads
taking into consideration all of the
conditions of the service. Mails are
not a commodity of commerce. and
hence the question of whether a diff
ferent yardstick should be applied tC
them is a debatable one. / have hell
that while the mails may not be com.
modify of commerce, transportation
undoubtedly is; and that when th'
post Office needs transportation Il
should pay fair price for it.
However, the department is en-
titled to the lowest rate consistent
with the business equities of the case
High cost articles of commerce which
move ir small volume and in the eX
change of which a large margin o
profit is involved, bear high transpor
tation charges The mails move IL
large volume, are easily handled, i'm
pose little risk on the carrier anG
constitute a traffic into which the ele
ment of profit does not enter at all. IL
pay the roads more than a reasonable
compensation Oh the basis have in
dicated would amount to levying an in
direct tax upon The general public fo
The benefit Of private interest.
"A painstaking and thorough inves
tigation has been made, running owe
a long period of time. The tests o
reasonableness have been completed
both as 10 the rates and the method
of adjusting pay. and the results hav
fully justified the postal authorities il
resisting the claims of railroads
The government as a shipper o
parcel post. should not be required {
pay more than is charged other ship
pers for substantially the same ser
vice. There have been many in
stances where the railroads have car
ried the same matter both as expires
and as mail and have charged almos
double for it as mail. Why should
cost the railroads any more to haul
given package because il carries tn
government label9 How does an ex
press company's label reduce the eX
pense to the railroad?"
There being no apparent answer :
this. the Postmaster General wa
asked what the next step would be.
Largely because of the opposition
TO the railway mail section, the en-
tire postoffice appropriation bill wa
defeated in the Senate last winter an
the whole question went over 10 tn
coming Congress" he said. Need
less to say. | shall renew by recon
mendation on the subject. II tn