Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-30
PUBLISHERS WANT
TIME To SUBMIT
OWN POSTAL DATA
Second CIassRa Increases
Will Fall on Farmer,
They Tell Committee

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27-Protest-
ing against increases in second class
mail rates provided in the admins
tration measure designed to meet
salary raises of postal employees, rep
resentatives of the American News
paper Publishers association pro-
posed to a joint congressional post
office committee Saturday that they
be permitted to draft a rate scale to
cover the cost Of their use of the
postal service.
The publishers entered vigorous
objection to the haste with which
they contended congress was treat
ing a problem important alike to the
newspapers and public. They said
insufficient time had been given for
the study of cost ascertainment re-
port of the postoffice department on
which the proposed rate increases
are based and that if given time
they would draft a schedule which
in their judgment would more nearly
meet the equities.
While individual members express
ed interest in the publishers offer,
the committee took no formal action.
Chairman Moses announced the
hearings would be pressed early next
week with a view to presentation of
a report to the senate committee in
time for the reporting of the admin
istration bill to the senate, before
President Coolidge's veto of the pos
tai pay bill is taken up January ),
under an unanimous consent agree
ment.
Would Hurt Farmers
b Denouncing the proposed increase
in second class rates, Spokesman for
the publishers association insisted
that the administration bill would
curtail rural circulation of neWspa-
pers and at the same time fail to
bring in additional revenue to the
government.
S. L. Thomason, of Chicago, pres
ident Of the association, declared the
increase would hit one class-"the
rural readers of metropolitan and
other city publications. Only about
ten papers, he estimated, would be
able to absorb the proposed increase,
while other newspapers would be
forced to pass it on to the subScrlb-
ers.
1--WE have an off-peak load regular
and continuous, for the postofflce
department" Mr.. Thomason said.
land we feel we should receive n
preferential rate as other concerns
give similar business"
Mr.. Thomason approved the the
Dry of suggestion by Representa-
tive Kelly, Republican, Pennsylva-
MIA, for a graduated scale of rates
on seemed class mail, fixed so that
larger papers with greater circula-
ton would be taxed heavier.
Volume Suffers as Result
Elisha Hanson, Washington repre-
sentative of the association, and
Jerome D. Barnum, of Syracuse, n.
y, chairman of it's postal commit
tee, presented data showing that the
previous increases in second class
rates had curtailed the mail Circula-
ton of daily newspapers from Is to
40 per cent.
Pointing out that since 1912 second
class mail was the only class on
which congress had raised the rates,
they contended that these advances
had increased the revenues 125 per
CSIiI puI Iolu DSSll dCCOlll pdlIlGu Wy
a large withdrawal of volume from
the mails, due to the rate increases.
The argument was presented that
should congress vote the increases
recommended by the postoffice de-
partment it would find it necessary
to revise them downward within two
years because the revenues of the
department are increasing suffi-
GENTLY on the present rate struc-
ture to provide for he salary in
era Sos 1Irithi,n That ti,nan