New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-07
Take Away the Subsidy"
A Printer Defends Undercharge. On
Second Class Postal Matter
le Editor OF The Tribune.

sdy" is so unfair and inconsistent that a.,
printer | deem it a duty TO answer II.
Thirty-two years ago the government in .,
anxiety TO educate the masses, inaueur,,..
the second class mail Service" az one cen,
pound. but in your article it would seem :,
though IL were done through the mschnstio,,
of publishers very few OF whom were in sri,.
ence at that time. The result was Just VIA,
was expected Great periodicals have con-,
into existence. with eminent writers who b,,,
given to the world fund of informa,o.
never even thought Of prior to that date.
The civilization of the entire world h,
been developed and assisted by this univ.tul
rate of one cent pound. Canada, seeing ri,
installed rate of one-half cent a pound
which the writer is not sure Of being in exist.
ence since 1914.
Two very important results have been Oh.
tanned by this rate of postage. One is tia.
universal education has been spread broadea.
throughout our country 70 a greater ey,eb,
than in any other country on the face OF n,
Garth. and the other is that this propositio,
has made the postofice paying investme,,
by its consequent result in first class postage
will quote an illustration Of the reason why:
Creating First Class Mail
"In the last six months The Review n
Reviews not one Of the magazines Of gigantic
circulation. paid S11,SOO in pound rates. bu,
purchased $4,000 worth of stamps from III,
postoffice i'm the conduct Of It's business. Will,
$4,000 stamped letters came 10 its Office
And this does not say one word Of the in.
mense amount of first class mail 10 created for
those who advertised in it's columns. As Tho
postotfice as a whole now fully pays its e1.
penscs and as certain parts Of many CONNER.
cial enterprises have departments which they
must carry at loss in order 20 insure gen.
eral profit in the business. be seems perfectly
sound logic that the government at the TIN,
of the Inauguration of the one cent a pound
rate. had its eye on the subsequent result and
As il has achieved its purpose 10 should cer
tainly be let alone, and in the course Of time
the second class mail matter would pay Of
itself from increased volume of business and
would keep on increasing the first class mail
profits materially.
But why was the Posto!fice Department Is.
tabished? Was IL to produce a profitable
business or TO render a service 10 our citl.
zens? We fully believe the latter. Why not,
then. also call any other department. such
as police, military, civic or other institutions
of service for proposition 10 each one to
make their department Of service pay profit
in dollars and cents, such as you outline for
the postoflice service?
Now a word in regard to zones. Why no,
divide the United States into eight separate
zones of military and civic operations? Il
certainly seems vicious measure that makes
a citizen pay for a publication selling in New
York for five cents on the Atlantic Coast
II cents, six Of which is given to the gov
eminent. II would tend 10 a localiza Of
small things everywhere. Will you inform US
as to how the Curtis Publishing Company
could split the printing and publication Of
1.-THE Saturday Evening Post" up into eight
different zones and give as good publication
as they do for five cents?
Keep Us One Country
Should there be eight different sets Of edi-
tors and machinery?
Is it not sound sense to concentrate all III,
energy on one large publication rather than
On eight of one-eighth the circulation? In
the absence of zone systems it makes US one
country with a Great service, and there could
be no reason why any portion Of the country
should be Disseminated against.
II may be necessary 20 false the rate be-
cause Of increased cost OF delivery, but GER
tainly not so long as the postofiice as a whole
is a profit making proposition and at the same
time giving the country service unsurpassed
by any in the world.
Just one word more and I am through:
Should these great publications be- strangled
and caused 10 cut their circulatiors 10 one
fourth or less it would be the greatest cstss.
trophe to the receipts and service that the
Postoffcc Department could receive besides
throwing out o. work from % 70 30 Der cent
Of the persons employed in the publishing and
printing Of these great publications.
CHARLES FRANCIS.
I'VE are glad to print this letter, be-
cause it gives a fair expression Of the
views Of those who want the undercharge
or second class mail matter continued, and
also because it shows the inconsequence Of
most Of their arguments. II magazine
publications now create first class nal
business, they will continue 70 create IT,
even if they pay fairer share Of the
cost Of the service which the postofice
now gives them. Why can they not afford
to pay something nearer the cost Of the
service they receive? Congress is about
to raise the rates on first class m@l. Why,
in all fairness, should the very much lower
rates on second class not be raised also?
Do the publishers of magazines admit
that they cannot continue publication
without the charitable assistance now
given them by the government? II So
they only prove the charge that they are
living on a governmental subsidy, granted
to no other class Of users Of the mails.
There is no reason why the magazine pub
fishers should not pay their way 50 far
as the postal service is concerned. II they
are working on a false subscription basis
they ought to be willing 10 20 10 a norma