El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-05-09


"A made a motion to reconsider
IA previous action, the board of
directors Of the chamber Of COM
merce at its regular meeting Tuesday
night voted to rescind its action of
May /, when it went on record as
favoring an increase in the second
class postal rates. At the meeting on
Nay 1 the directors sanctioned the
recommendation OF the National One
Cent Letter Postage association Of
Cleveland. Ohio, that the second class
rate be increased and that the com
nercial organization favor a decrease
in the first-class rate.
In its letter the association con-
tended that the government has al
ways lost millions OF dollars an
nually in handling second-class mat
ter, which includes newspapers and
periodicals. The association stated
that last year the revenues for sec
oHd-class matter totaled s11,500.00O
while it cost the government $780,
600, TO handle this class of mail.
Hardship to Publishers.
Il D. Slater, Of the Fl Paso Herald.
and + g Davis, general manager OF
the Times. addressed the directors on
the subject Of proposed increases Of
the second ass rate Both speakers
pointed out The hardship such action
By the government would work on
The newspapers and the newspaper
subscribers Of the country, especially
Of the southwest
Mr.. Slater, who was the first
speaker, said that the action Of the
association was probably the result Of
The work Of a few large mail order
An TnprnaEa y & pT10 pd
would prove fatal 10 a large number
OF periodicals and many newspapers
The speaker said Catalogs and other
matter come under other classes and
would not be affected
Herald Postage $4,000 Yearly.
The speaker said that the FL Paso
Herald last year paid the postal de-
partment Of the government nearly
$4,000 for the papers IL sent through
The mails. Il the second-class rate is
doubled it will mean that the paper
viii have to expend approximately
$1,000 this year. Such action. he pre-
dicted. would put over 1000 periodicals
and newspapers out Of business
Mr.. Slater spoke Of the competition
The FL Paso papers had with the pa
pers Of larger cities Ike Los Angs-
les. Denver and Kansas CITY he
stated that the newspapers OF this
city were under a heavy expense in
mailing papers to subscribers because
Of the vastness OF the territory they
covered On an average it costs The
Herald IS cents annually to mail
each paper. Mr.. Slater said, and 1t
probably costs the Times more, owing
TO having seven papers a week.
The speaker criticised the book
keeping system It Washington IN
which loss was attributed to second
class matter which should not be
charged as such.
In Canada. the speaker said the
government reduced its second-class
rate from a half to one-quarter cent
a pound and the Canadian postal serv-
ice has been making a million dol
lars annually above its expenses.
The government receives a large
revenue Indirectly from its second
class matter. Mr. Slater SAID. IN
answers TO advertisements in periodi- |
Gals and newspapers and correspond /
ence that starts through the clrcula-
lion Of newspapers. The low rate OF
newspaper postage Is for the oene-
fit Of the people not OF the publishers
Newspapers Serve Government.
Mr.. Davis in talking to the directors
spoke of the service the newspapers
were giving the government IT the
present crisis The speaker SAID that
com aratively few newspapers were
having propositions: that the money
Thev make is TO a large extent spent
IN improving the plant, the service
ana the efficiency OF the staff Paper
and all of the materials have largely
Increased in price. Mr.. Davis stated
The government is now calling on the
newspapers for service in aiding IN
recruiting and other war problems
that is costing the papers thousands
OF dollars and which service could not
be purchased by any business concern
Finally Unanimously RecOnsidered-
Mr.. Davis also touched on the in
creased cost of paper production and
said that owing TO this fact 500 daily
newspapers have failed during the
last six months
John NJ Wyatt, president OF the
chamber of commerce. who at tn9
meeting May 1st cast the only dis
senting vote against favoring an in
crease in second class matter, spoke
OF the value of the newspapers and
periodicals to the masses. He stated
that he thought some of the members
Of the board who voted in favor of the
increase should make a motion TO re
considers the action taken by the
board Maurice Schwartz then moved TO
reconsider, and, after lengthy discus
sion il was put to vote again Three
votes were cast against the motion.
They were cast by J. ". Kirkpatrick,