Evening star., 1924-12-23
MAIL RATE RAISES
JUST, NEW CLAIMS
Postmaster General Defends
Advances Proposed in
Sterling Measure.

Postmaster General New was called
today before the Senate post office
subcommittee to explain details of
the administration measure propos-
ing increases in rates on practically
all classes of mail matter, except let
ter mail, to take care of the advance
IL the pay Of postal employees, ap-
proved by Congress, but vetoed by
President Coolidge.
With a View to having ready a re-
port on the bill before the Senate
takes UP the Presidents veto Of the
salary bill on January ., the subcom-
mittee has set aside four days of this
week for the hea earing-today, tomor-
row, Friday and Saturday. 1t is the
hope of Chairman Moses and the
other mem berS to conclude the hear
ings within that time. so that re-
port can be made to the entire COM
mittee next week.
Some publishers who are opposing
the advance in second class mail
rates have protested that the notice
of hearing was entirely too brief, but
the subcommittee will go on with the
hearings on the dates specified, Sem
ator Moses said today. After Mr..
New is heard opportunity will be
given the publishers and others in
ISTSStSo TO present
-s,r Salary issue Pending.
While the salary increase measure,
passed a the last session, mas been
Incorporated into the mail rate ad-
vance bill introduced by Chairman
Sterling OF the Post Office committee.
there will be no hearings on that
measure at this time. The question
of salary raises is pending in the
Senate and the committee Will have
jurisdiction only in the event that the
Presidents veto is sustained. which
leaders now say is practically as
sured
At the outset the American News
paper Publishers Association, through
its vice president. John Stewart
Bryan. publisher of the Richmond,
Va. NewsLeader, presented pro-
test from that organization against
such speed in opening the hearings
Discrepancies in Report.
The protest set forth that the Post
Office Department had been two years
in preparing the cost ascertainment
report on which the proposed mail
rate advances have been based and
that the publishers should be given
reasonable time in which to study the
report II was declared that in the
Dr1eI time the report ndQ Deen III the
associations hands many discrepan-
cies' in the statements OF facts had
been found.
The protest asked that at least 30
days be given for analysis of the re-
port. To this Chairman Moses replied
that the Senate committee had ordered
speedy hearings with Il view to MAX
ing q report soon after the Christmas
recess and that the subcommittee had
no choice but to go ahead.
Advances proposed by the Post Office
Department are in accordance with
the equities and are fair to the users
of the several classes of mail, Post
master General New told the COM
mittee.
Replying TO the challenge of the
Publishers Association as to the ac-
curacy Of the cost ascertainment re-
port. Mr.. New declared he had "abso-
lutte and implied confidence in the
accuracy OF that report. Before he
approved it, he said, he had a ma
tionally known accounting firm go
over it with q fine-tooth comb"
Explaining the various rate ad-
vances. he told the committee that
he regarded it to be an imposition to
make an increase on every other clas
OF mail and none on the second-class
mail, consisting of newspapers and
periodicals.