The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-09-22

The following letter was written by
A. NJ. Dockery, Third Assistant Post
master General, to the New York
Times in reply to an editorial in that
paper, but the vigorous defense Of
the Post Office under its present man
agement which Missouri's former
Governor makes is of interest every
where. The letter is slightly abridg-
ed
The Editor, New York Times;
81 am constrained to bring to your
attention certain facts which, be-
lieve, will serve to convince all fair
minded people of four things.
"First, that the Post Office Depart
ment, taken as a whole, is now on a
elf-sustaining basis.
Second, that it is subjected annu-
ally, according to comparatively re-
cent findings of the Hughes Commits
sion, to an enormous loss on the
transportation and handling of news
papers and periodicals entitled to the
second class mailing privilege.
Third, that the revenue from other
classes of mail, and from the special
services maintained, overcome this
loss.
Fourth, that the financial reports
of the department are statements OF
| facts and demonstrably true.
Hughes Headed Inquiry Board.
"Your editorials refer to state
ment attributed to Senator Hard
wick in a recent interview, that the
Post Office Department is running be-
hind by $80,000,000 a year. am not
convinced that Senator Hardwick
made this statement; if he did, he I'M
questionably referred to the loss in
cident to the transportation and hand
| ling of second-class mail, and not to
any deficiency in their entirety.
POSTMASTER General Hitchcock at
tempted to adjust the matter by rec
ommending to Congress an increase
in the second-class rate. The propo-
sition met with intense opposition
and heated controversy ensued cul-
minating in the adoption on March
A, 1911, of joint resolution of the
i Congress authorizing the President
to appoint a Commission to deter
mine the cost of transporting and
handling second-class mail and what
rate should be fixed to meet and reim-
burse the Government for its outlay.
Following the adoption of this res
olution President Taft appointed a
commission consisting of the Hon
Charles Evans Hughes, then an AS
sociate Justice of the Supreme Court
of the United States and now the NOM
inee of the Republican party for Pres
ident; DIR. A. Lawrence Lowell, pres
ident of Harvard University, and Mr.
Henry A. Wheeler, president of the
, Association of Commerce of the City
of Chicago. The Commission held
extended hearings and thoroughly re-
viewed all data and evidence present
ed.
Cost of Handling Second Class Mail
"On February 2, 1912, they pre-
scented their report, finding, among
other things, that the cost of trans.
porting and handling second-class
matter mailed at the cent-a-pound
rate was approximately 5 IL cents q
pound, exclusive of certain expenses
principally for services in post of
fees, which were unassignable. The
departments estimate of the cost Of
handling this matter, including, the ex-
penses which the Hughes Commission
found to be unassignable, was APP
proximately 9.27 cents a pound. On
the basis Of the departments esti.
mate, which includes the unassigned
expenses. the cost of handling and
transporting second-class mail during
Il the fiscal year 1915 would be $751;
| 73T, 934.41. Deducting from this
amount the revenue received woulc
leave loss of $81, 266, 491.67.
| "The Hughes Commission recon-
mended an increase of rates on sec.
ond-elass mail, but Congress took nc
action on their report.
] "This explanation should correct
any misunderstanding that may have
arisen as to the financial status Of the
zz.lzzzszzl -