The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-08-04
POSTAL RATES FALL
SHORT OF EXPECTATION
CONGRESSIONAL BODY HEARS
CRITICISM OF HIGH RATES
RECENTLY INAUGURATED.
BRING IN MUCH LESS REVENUE
Postmaster General Admits That First
Month of New Schedule Fell Short
Of Old Figures. General Dissatis-
faction by Public at Large.

The controversy over postal rates
has been reopened by a joint con-
gressional committee which first heard
a postoffice department estimate that
the new rates inaugurated April 18th
had fallen far short of producing the
additional revenue expected.
Postmaster General New, the first
witness at the opening session of the
hearings, which will take the commits
sion to a score of cities in the next few
weeks, frankly told the senator's and
representatives that a decrease in rev.
enue in actual mail matter was shown,
but there was a slight increase from
special services such as insurance and
special delivery.
He forecast a substantial increase in
revenue from the cts. special charge
on parcel post packages, but said
strong protests had been received
against the increase in the postage
rates on newspapers mailed by indi-
viduals and that indications pointed
to falling off of revenue from that
source.
Postal Card Rise Appears Costly.
The one-haff cent increase in the
rate on private mailing cards also
promises to prove costly to the gov
eminent, the commission was told,
because many private concerns are
turning to the use of the government
cards, which go through the mails at
one-cent each.
A small decrease was shown in the
total revenue for second-class mail
newspapers and periodically carried
at the pound rate. The computed rev
enue from that source Tor May last
was $2,409 EOS, compared with an es-
timated income of So, 500,674 under the
old rate.
Decrease in First Class Mail.
Revenue from first class mail de-
creased 4,4243 per cent; that from
second class transient mail decreased
.22,4236 per cent; fourth class decreas-
ed 4.6223 per cent, and foreign mail
decreased l3,6015 per cent. Second
class mail at l and 2 cents per copy
showed an estimated increase Of
36,5618 per cent, and third class mail
an estimated increase of 36,2l75 per
cent.
In the special services, revenues
from registered mail decreased 1888
per cent, while increases were shown
as follows: Insurance, 600 per cent;
c. O. D., 100000 per cent; special de-
livery, 2,1479 per cent.
Efficiency Urged.
Greater efficiency in the mail SER
vice. with rates adjusted to meet its
cost, was urged by Lucius Peter,
chairman of the postal service COM
mittee OF the chamber of commerce
OF the United States He presented the
results Of referendum on the subject.
Mr.. Peter attacked particularly the
one half cent increase in the postage
on circulars and on private mailing
cards. The circular rate, he said, had
clogged the first class mails at times
with matter formerly handled in the
third class while in other cases it had
resulted in the prohibition of the mail
circulation Of advertising matter.
! The service charge on parcel post
was attacked as unscientifc, Mr.. Peter
contending that the two cents increas-
ed rate was not great enough for the
shorter zones and was too high Tor
| the longer zones.