Evening star., 1925-01-27
POSTAL MEASURE
WARNING IS ISSUED
Moses Says Amendments
Will Endanger Proposed
Pay Increase.

The postal pay and rate bill is be-
fore the Senate again today, and that
body is progressing as rapidly as pos
sible with consideration of an amend
ment proposed by Senator Butler of
assachusetts, which would restore
10 religious publications and those
maintained by beneficial and char
liable institutions the preferential
rate which they now enjoy, but which
the bill eliminates.
Senator Moses, Republican, New
Hampshire, again served notice today
that if the bill should be 'mutilated
by amendments" postal salary in
creases would be endangered.
I take that s a warning" Senator
Copeland, Democrat, New York, in
terrupted, that If we don't approve
all OF these rate increases this
bill will be vetoed. I will vote as my
conscience dictates regardless of the
attitude of those Senators who eat
buckwheat cakes served on White
House silver
Salary of Editors Debated.
a long debate ensued over Senator
Buffers amendment
Senator Harreld, Republican, Okla
homa, offered an amendment limiting
the benefits to charitable or religious
publications which did not pay more
than $4,000 a year to their editors.
The question Of what would be an
excessive salary to an editorial writer
would be open to much speculation"
Senator Johnson, Republican Cali
fornia, declared. "I think they are
now grossly overpaid and some would
be if they received quarter of l
cent"
The California Senator said the
country might be better off If a ma
jority of the writer's of current
editorials did not exist at all"
Some Items Approved.
Advancing its consideration Of the
postal pay and rate increase bill yes
terday, the Senate approved a number
of it's items, including one fixing a
rate of one and one-fourth cents a
pound on reading matter of all publ
cations. but stopped work on the
measure for the day upon reaching
the controversial proposal for revision
of zone rates on second class mail.
In fixing the reading matter rate at
one and onefourth cents, the Senate
approved a reduction of one-half cent
pound from the rate now paid by
general publications and placed them
on a. parity with religious, scientific
and educational periodicals. which al
ready enjoy the lower rate At the
same time it rejected a recommends
tion of the Post Office Department
that the rate for general publica-
tions be increased to two cents a
pound
Rate on Post Cards.
A provision increasing the rate on
private and souvenir post cards from
to 2 cents was approved, but pro-
posals to advance the rate to IN
cents on postal cards and on letters
mailed where free delivery is not es-
tablished, as recommended by the de-
partment, were rejected
4 determined fight against the pro-
posed advances on the advertising
matter of publications subject to Sec
ond-class zone rates Is in prospect.
Several amendments designed to
eliminate the recommended increases
were introduced today, with others
proposing decreases in the present
rates
Debate showed three divisions of
on the bill. Democrats,
Carolina and Swanson of Virginia,
were ready to oppose any increases
in second-class rates. Senator Ster-
ling, Republican, South Dakota, and
Senator Willis, Republican, Ohio, on
the other hand, would go farther in
most instances than reported by the
committee and follow the higher rec
concentrations of the Post Office De-
partment, while Senator Moses, Re-
publican, New Hampshire, in charge
of the measure, led the fight for the
committee bill.
Responsibility for failure of the
postal salary increases. Senator Moses
said, must rest directly on Senators
who prevent enactment of this bill
either by mutilation or by filibus-
ter"
The zone rate section, as reported
by the committee, proposes to COM
bine the present eight zones into
three, with rates of cents on ad-
vertising matter in publications to
apply to the present first three zones;
6 cents to the present fourth, fifth
and sixth zones, and cents to the
seventh and eighth zones.