The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-27
SPEC D Of
HEARING
SCORED
Newspapers Tell Committee
They Will Turn to Freight
and Express
By InternatIonal NeNs service.

BY International News Service.
Any increase in second-class
mail rates will force newspaper
publishers to cease using the mails
and will result in a loss in reve-
nue. to the Postoffice Department,
representatives of the American
Newspaper Publishers Association
charged today before the Joint
Congressional Postal Committee.
Through J. D. Barnum, SYRIA
cuse, N. Y, the publishers also
formally protested the committees
action in rushing hearings on
the Sterling omnibus postal rate
increase bill.
Time Plea Denied.
The publishers plea for addi-
tional time, however, was over
ruled, Senator Moses Rep.) Of New
Hampshire, chairman, announcing
the committee planned to conclude
sum 90 POSSAO4CS pAOUoOAJ OoA ~
next week.
BY refusing more extended hear.
ings the committee lis denying
those vitality interested an oppor-
tunity to present their CASE said
Barnurn. He asked for an exten.
sion Of thirty to sixty days.
.'The publishers have been given
but one week to protest the Post
Rffinn o. n
ment report upon which the rate
increases are based" said Barnum.
'SThe report was more than year
in the making but we were given a
copy only last Monday.
1T would be inadvisable to raise
the second class rates at this
time" Barnum told the committee,
adding that these rates were the
only ones which have been raised
by Congress since 1912. While these
advances have increased revenues
Of the department by 1875 per cent
they have also been accompanied
by a large withdrawal OF volume
from the mails.
Attacks Coupling Of Bills
The coupling OF the rate raise
bill with the postal salary increase
measure Barnum attacked as I'm
defensible."
He also assailed the method used
by the Postoffice Department In
ailocating costs to second class
mail, contending there was no sound
reason to charge publishers with
1885 per cent of the cost Of post
masters salaries when those salaries
are based entirely upon the amount
Of revenues received by the Post.
office Department.
The charge of $29 900, 900 incident
to rural free delivery service also
was held by the publishers to be
erroneous. They declared this serv-
ice was created as a public policy.
and that there is no way on the
present basis by which the rural
delivery could be made to pay its
own way.
this rural free delivery cost Is to
spread it over the entire postal
service, and allocate 1t according
to the revenues received from the
different classes or else to regard
Il as public policy expenditure, "
said Barnum.
OuA btSAS OAOtA0SAVAs
Previous rate increases in the
second class have curtailed mail
circulation Of daily newspapers from
Is to 40 per cent, Barnum pointed
out.
He cited instances Of various pub
lications whose present mailing
rates demonstrate that even with
the claims Of the department up.
held in full, these publications more
than pay their way through the
mails, and give to the department
a profit incident to the handling OF
their business.
Elisha Hanson, Washington rep.
fesentative Of the Publishers Asso.
citation, followed Barnum on the
stand, and charged that the Post
office Departments cost figures
were based on unreliable informa.
ton, particularly in regard to the
r. F. d. service.
TALK all you may about putting
the Postoffice Department on a
0elf.sustaining basis, but you still
have that rural free delivery serv'
ice, ordered by Congress for a great
public purpose; which costs in ex.
cess Of $S7,000,0 900 annually; which
represents one-seventh Of the entire
expenditure of the Postoffice De.
partment, yet which carries only
one-sixteenth Of the entire volume
Of the mails" said Hanson.
The bill would increase second
class revenues approximately $1O,.
100000 a year. Postoffice represent
atives said the Government loss was
$74,000,000 on magazines and news.
papers.
Most Of the publishers asked that
the present second.class rates be
left unchanged.
From two sources, however, came
suggestions for general revision
Of mail rates. One, by Charles F.
Jenkins, of the Agricultural Pub
fishers Association, would restore
the old flat.rate system for second
class mail.
South To Be Heard.
Representatives Of business jour
nails asked for an increase in par
Gel post rates to offset salary ad
vances and deficits In other classes
They would have the new parce
post rates established by the Inter
state Commerce Commission Just
as now 1t handles freight rates.
The idea of extending the com