Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-15
AWAKE TO POSSIBILITIES

AWARE ~ FOSSI6iLI fIES
Augusta people are awake to posi-
bilities threatening the publishers
and their city. The large and very
attentive audience at City Hall, Sat-
urday evening, afforded ample EVIL
dence of that. The demonstration
was an endorsement of the judgment
of those, who called the meeting.
Mayor Mclean gave a clear and
effective explanation Of the situation
from the local viewpoint: Congress
man Nelson described It as 1t ap-
pears to the national lawmakers;
and Charles S. Hichborn, who was
active at Washington in opposition
to the zoning arrangement, empha-
sized what seems often overlooked,
that the postal service is primarily
for service rather than for profit for
doing that for the public which the
public is not permitted to do for it
self, but which needs to be done
whether or not the service be self
sustaining.
IL was ~
meeting for those seeking informa-
tton-and 1t is not impossible that it
will give some Of those as far afleld
As Washington an enlightening
glimpse. Mr.. Nelson's review Of the
facts was a judicial presentation Of
facts as they had been presented to
the national lawmakers. He was
not. however, without hope OF some
relief in the near future.
It may be profitable for US all to
consider certain features, mention Of
which seems avoided whenever the
Postal Department attempts to tell
us about the cost Of distributing
second-class mail, estimates of costs
more likely to bewilder and mislead
than to inform.
Can the Washington bureau clerks,
tor they really are the ones who
make these estimates. tell US how
much it costs. for instance. for q
rural carrier to deliver 100 pieces OF
second class mail. over what 1t would
cost to deliver only Is pieces Of that
mail; or why individual or corporate
business finds the percentage Of costs
less under increased volume. other
things being equal? Can they or will
they explain why big publishing con-
Germs, whose publications circulate
largely in thickly populated areas
are able to ship their publications by
express. deliver them by their own
carriers, more cheaply than does the
postal service with all its elaborate
system Of distribution?
Congress must. in large measure
depend upon heads Of departments
for information, and these heads. in
turn. upon the employees under them
who occasionally appear more in.
terested in exploiting personal notions
than In a fair presentation Of all the
facts. Moreover, each head OF the
department, rightly too. is concerned
in making a good record in the mat
ter of economy, and lacks long ex-
perience with that under his charge
Such a situation may account TO,
a postal law under which a publisher
Is charged two cents for mailing his
private mailing card with writing
thereon. though he furnishes the
stock for the card. but does permit
him to buy and use government pos
tai cards of like size, stock and
stamp, for one cent each; it may ac-
count for the reason why an Augusta
publisher may ship mis- second class
mails to Pittsburgh and there turn
them over to Uncle Sam to distribute
and do this at less expense than Uncle
Sam will take them at Augusta and
distribute them, though the Govern
ment surely pays no more for the
transportation-or should not.
In short it may explain why gov
eminent management, even with as
good if not better employees, does not
successfully compete with private
management. Indeed, there is cause
10 question whether the Government
can be capable of rendering a mail
service that shall be most profitable
to both the public and itself. The
demonstration it is giving under the
present postal rates leads to such
a conclusion.
Considering the tremendous i'm
portance a flrst-class postal service
is to the public, should not the first
consideration be to give the best SER
vice possible?