Evening star., 1925-02-05
FIGHT
POSTAL INCREASES
See Running of Smaller Pa
pers If Proposed Rates
Become Effective.

vigorous protest mas Deen 1Hdue ny
the American Publishers conference
to attempts to rush the new postal
rate increase bill through the House
next Tuesday under a special rule re-
stricting debate and prohibiting
amendments from the floor. In a
letter to Chairman Smell of the rules
committee Urey Woodson. executive
vice chairman of the conference, as
serted that it would be decidedly un-
fair TO the press of the country to
raise their rates so per cent without
allowing them the courtesy of hear
ing"
'If this bill is enacted into law in
it's present FORM he said, 1T will
prove disastrous to many publications,
especially to the smaller newspapers.
Similar objections were expressed in
a statement issued by Elisha Hanson,
Washington representative of the
American Newspaper Publishers AS
ISOLATION.
Reports Increases.
provides advances similar to those in
the Senate measure and in that vetoed
last year by President Coolidge, ex-
cept year they would be effective as
of January 1, 1925, instead of July 1,
1924.
The committee report, presented to
the House late yesterday by Repre-
sentative Moore, Republican,, Ohio,
estimated the increases as follows:
First-class mail. S1o,000,o00; second
class, publications, $2,99s,252; tran
sient, 100000; third class, $4,000
600. fourth class, parcel post. $13,
100000: 25-cent special delivery serv-
ice on parcel post, 100000; third
and fourth class insured service, $3,-
05S,147; c. o. D. service, $1.103,S7s:
money orders. $3,5S2,4s registry, s3,-
$4,000, and special delivery. $500. 900.
The normal growth of the service
and increase in business" said the
report, and the Improvement in
morale and increased efficiency of the
personnel, 1t is felt, will quickly alb
totals"
Rates Fixed i'm Bill.
Rates fixed in the bill include:
First-class mail, picture souvenir
postal cards, cents, instead of the
present /; letters and ordinary postal
cards unchanged.
Second class: Three zones instead of
eight, as now, with rates of cents
a pound in the first zone, embra cling
the present first, second and third
cents in the new second zone, en-
braeing the present fourth, fifth and
sixth, and cents In the new third
zone, embracing the present seventh
and eighth zones. The rates on scien-
tific, fraternal and similar publica-
tions would be raised from 4 cents
to 11s cents a pound in all zones, and
the transient rate, for occasional mall
ing of publications, would be 1 cent
an ounce.
Third class: With an S-oqnce limit,
books, catalogues. seeds. plants. etc.
where 1 cent for ounces would be
charged
Fourth class (parcel post): Two-cent
service charge on all parcels, except
those originating on rural routes, and
a new special expedition charge of rs
cents for parcel post.
Secs *e1 600 900 Revenue.
Representative Kelly of Pennsyl-
vania, a Republican member of the
committee, and officials of the Post
once Department Estimated that the
measure would raise approximately
$s1. 600, 900, within s7.o00,000 of the
total necessary to meet the pay in
creases and almost double the amount
tn6 eSlllIldlcu "dS pro-
vided in the Senate bill, which the
House refused to consider on the
ground that 1t was revenue producing
legislation.
The estimates Of increased revenue
from these rates were provided the
committee by the Post Office Depart
ment. AS In the Senate bill, the rates
are intended to apply only for a suf-
flcient period to permit enactment OF
permanent legislation on the basis OF
recommendations of a joint congress
sional committee which, under the
terms of the measure, would investi-
gate the entire postal rate structure
with a view to proposing revisions a,
the first regular session of the next
Congress, in December.