Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-27
PROTESTS ON MAIL
RAISES PRESENTED
Publishers Renew Complaint
on Hasty Consideration OF
Rate Increases.

Protests against increases in sec
ond-class mail rates, proposed In the
administration measure to raise reve-
nue. for postal salary increases, were
presented today to the Joint congress
sional post Office committee by spokes-
men for the American Newspaper
Publishers Association.
Renewing their complaint against
hasty consideration by Congress OF
the Post Office Departments cost
ascertainment report on which the
rate raises are predicated, tbs pub
fishers contended that the records of
the department show the inadvtsahil-
ity of raising rates on second-class
mail matter at this time on the theory
that such an advance would produce
an increase in revenue
Pointing out that since 1912 sec
ond-claSs mail has been the only class
on which Congress has increased
rates, they contend that these ad-
vances had increased the revenues OF
the department. more than 1875 per
cent, but at the same time resulted
In a large decrease in the volume Of
the mails.
The arguments for the publishers
association were prese nted by s. F..
Thomason OF Chicago, president; John
Stewart Bryan OF Richmond, Va. vice
president: J. ID. Barnum Of Syracuse
y. Y, chairman Of the postal commit
tee; L. H Baker of Cleveland, II. F.
Hanson of Duluth. l.. &. Palmer and
Howard Davis Of New York and
Elisha Hanson. the associations
Washington representative.
Appearing yesterday afternoon for
the Agricultural Publishers Associa-
ton, Charles F. Jenkins urged that
Congress abolish the zone system OF
charges on second-class mail matter.
He also argued that without any In
crease IN rates the Post ONCE Depart
nent would be able TO absorb the
$eS,ooo.o0o increase in salaries FOR
postal employees approved by Congress
IT the last session and vetoed by
President Coolidge.
Rural Delivery Loss.
Meantime. the publishers said.
many publications would be forced
out of the mails BY the increased
rates.
Reiterating their contention that
the Post Office Department improper
" had charged second class mail with
s2e,000,0o0 for the rural free delivery
service, they declared there was no
way to cover the loss of rural delfv-
cry except by spreading it over the
entire postal service, or else by re-
iture.
See Farther Revision.
II the advance became effective, it
was argued, Congress within two
years would be obliged to revise rates
downward again, because revenues
are increasing sufficiently on the
present rate structure to provide for
the salary increases within that time.
Figures were furnished in an ef-
fort to show that the previous in
creases in second-class rates had
curtailed the mail circulation of daily
newspapers from Is to 40 per cent.
The present proposed increases, rep
resentatives of the publishers de-
mer increases, which were spread out
over a period of four years. The
disastrous" effect of these proposed
advances, they said. would be an
"irreparable" injury both to the pub
fishers and the subscribers.
Attention also was directed to
figures showing that the Post Once
Department has a net annual loss of
S27,000,000 for special services, such
as foreign mail, transit, money order,
registry, special delivery, insurance,
G. Q. D. and Treasury savings.
Would Extend Truck Service.
E. H. Baker. president of the Cleve-
land Plain Dealer Publishing Com
pany, declared If the proposed rate
increases went into effect his COM
pany would be forced to extend it's
truck service and diminish to the
minimum the mail service.
we expect to pay for the cost of
delivery of our papers," he said
biased equitably and fairly on de-
livery only Of our papers. But we
must have time to figure out accu-
Tately this cost"
Senator Oddie. Republican, Nevada,
inquired IL newspapers received credit
for routing their mail. Mr. Baker
said not, and Representative Kelly,
Republican, Pennsylvania, pointed out
that hundreds Of mail clerks were
used in other businesses to route
fourth class mail. Performance Of
his work was by newspapers, Mr.
Thomason suggested, saving the Gov
1aent great expense.
Why are these mail clerks furnish
ed mail order businesses and not to
newspapers?' asked Senator Harreld,
Republican.
I'VE do this ourselves to avoid de-
ray," Mr.. Thonason replied. I'VE want
our readers TO get the papers next
morning"
Representative Ramseyer, Republic
can. Iowa, suggested that Congress
might be willing TO grant more time
X the publishers would prepare a
program for permanent settlement Of
Second-class postal rates. Thomson
replied that IL given time the pub
fishers would seek to determine the
costs of second-class postage and
prepare such q program.