New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-07
Postal Subsidies
Mr.. Kitchin's Figures Of Second
Class Mail Costs and Receipts

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: In speech delivered in the House OF
Representatives on May 10. 1917, Hon. Claude
Kitchin presented some facts pertaining to
| second class postal rates that ought to be
given wide publicity quote verbatim the
following statements made by Mr. Kitchin:
Last fiscal year the government hauled,
handled and distributed 1902 470,676 pounds
Of newspapers. magazines and other periodi-
Gals. To do this it cost the government in
Guiding it's share of the general postoffce
expenses and overhead charges in round num-
hers, $l00500, 900 For this service rendered
the publishers paid to the government the
pitiful sum Of 11,3S3,0O0. The government
thereby incurred loss in round numbers of
$s9,OOOOOO
Last fiscal year the government carried
and distributed through the mails 18,954,s4O
pounds of Golfers Weekly" at a cost for
transportation alone Of S947,742, and for
handling and distributing of s758,l94 The
total cost TO the government, to the taxpay-
ers, was $1,7O5,936. Under the present mi
quitous law the publishers of Golfers
Weekly were required to pay the govern
ment for this service only $lS9,548, leaving
the government a clear loss Of sl,5lG,388, and
the publishers of "Collier's Weekly a clear
subsidy out Of the pockets of the people Of
$1.516,3SS"
Referring to the Curtis Publishing Com
pany's papers. "The Saturday Evening POST
"The Ladies' Home Journal" and "The Coun-
try Gentleman" Mr.. Kitchin makes the fol-
lowing statement:
THE total cost to the government of haul
ing, handling and distributing for the Curtis
Publishing Company through the mails these
three periodicals last fiscal year was $780,,
lOI. Under the present law this company
was required to pay for this large service
only $500 500, leaving the government loss
of $4,743 205, and giving the Curtis Publish
ing Company from the pockets of the tax
payers a subsidy of S4,743,2O5. The amount
the government paid for transportation alone
was five times the amount it received for the
entire service of hauling, handling, and dis
tributng.
"Now, take the case of a big city daily like
The New York Times Last fiscal year the
government carried and distributed through
the mails l0023,2O0 pounds of this daily at
cost for transportation average haul 300
mlleS) OF SlOU,04b, anu lOr hdHulIhB anu us
tributing Of $4OO,92S.
"The total cost to the government for the
service rendered was $551,27G, for which it
received only SlOO232, making a clear loss to
the government of S45l ,O44, and giving clear
subsidy to the publishers of The Times of
S451 O44.
Last fiscal year the government hauled,
handled and distributed l,s9S,Sl2 pounds of
THE Outlook 1t cost the governUent $751;
OOO 1t received from the publishers Of The
Outlook only $4,000 The government paid
for transportation alone over $4,000"
If the above statements, as quoted from
Mr.. Kitchin's speech. are correct, the promi-
uent publications mentioned, as well as the
press in general, ought, in the public interest,
TO present these facts TO their readers, and 10
assist in every way toward developing pub
lie opinion that will bring pressure to bear
on Congress and force it to promptly do away
with this injustice by putting second-class
mail rates on proper business basis.
Failure on the part Of the press to pro-
claim these facts can only be interpreted as
willingness to cover up the truth in order to
protect their own pocketbooks.
FREDERICK G. SKULL
Concord, Mass, Sept. 8, 1917.