Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-02
INDEPENDENT OIL STOCKS.
Washington Ticker
BY the Associated Press.

L <
BY the Associated Press.
In preparing program for a re-
adjustment of postal rates IN his effort
to eliminate or diminish sharply the
growing deficit of the Post Office De-
partment, Postmaster General Brown Is
contemplating the calling Of confer
ence late this month of principal mail
users to ascertain the public view
point where increased charges can be
most eff1caciously placed.
The Postmaster General, together
with his chief subordinates in the de-
partment, is formulating comprehen-
sive scheme of readjustment OF the
rates and services of the postal service
which he hopes to have in definite
shape for presentation to the regular
session of Congress in December. His
plan, it is expected, will be presented
either in his regular annual report OF
the departments activities or in Spe-
cial report and will embody program
Of legislation designed to the postal
deficits.
One branch of mail service, the air
mail, already is being scrutinized by the
department to ascertain If higher post
age cannot be equitably placed on the
service. A series of conferences between
air mail line operators and Second As
SiStant Postmaster General Glover is
being held this week and the operators
have presented a plea for higher rates
on the ground that they are unable
to make a profit under the existing
charges. Postmaster General Brown
also has proposed that another postal
service, the ocean mail contract system,
be revised so the department will not
have to charge against its ordinary
postal operating costs these contracts
while the cost of everything the
Post Office Department buys-com-
moditieS, services, labor" the Post
master General says in discussing his
rate readjuStment program, has great
ly increased, our rates have either re-
manned stationary or have decreased.
In postal practice as there is no market
value an arbitrary value should be as
signed, based upon rates established,
which in a large sense should be the
measure of what the traffic will bear"
He feels that the public, however,
should recognize the postal service rem
ders certain intangible values of
service" such as expedition, preferential
treatment or personal handling Of mail,
especially in city business districts,
which should be part of the cost
ascertainment.
"Painstaking studies are now in
progress in the department" the Post
master General said, "of all the factors
that enter into postal costs and of all
other factors which should be consider
ed in postal rate making. At the con-
clusion Of these studies the results will
be submitted to Congress-"
The conference of mail users, it was
said at the department., will include the
attendance of representatives Of mail
order establishments, banks, news
10
manufacturers and other large con-
Germs which utilize the postal service
widely. No date has. yet been fixed for
it, but it was said to be rather definite
ly planned for late in October.
The executive order of President
Hoover in transferring the Agriculture
Departments division Of cooperative
marketing to the jurisdiction of the
Federal Farm Board is looked upon IN
governmental circles as not only signi-
f1cant of the permanence of the board
In the Governments organization, but
also OF the Chief Executives news on
the dominant policy of the farm body
to foster orderly marketing of agricul-
tural products.
Cooperative marketing by the farm
ers of the Nation has been stressed by
the Farm Board ever since it's organiza-
ton. Although during the recent ex-
animation of the board members by
the Senate agricultural committee there
has been insistence by some Senators
for the board to participate itself in
the sterilization of the farm market,
It Is unlikely that any step looking
toward price f1xation or sterilization
will be undertaken by the board and
its present policy Of reliance for agri-
cultural relief upon the Farmers Co.
Operative Associations will be continued.
The organization of agriculture, along
the same lines as in other industries, is
an objective strongly desired by Chair
man Alexander Legge of the board
1.-THE problem of the farmer most close |
ly parallels that of every other indus
try" he says. and it seems to us that
the treatment to be applied can be
described in one word, organization.
II q thousand farmers place the same
product in the hands of a single SELL
ing agency that agency at once be-
comes ana important factor in the mar
ket A major policy of the board will
be the expansion and Strengthening Of
the cooperative movement
Curiously the transfer of the Cooper
alive marketing division is a case Of an
organization following its former chief
into new field. Chris L. Christensen,
secretary Of the board, was chief of
the division until he Joined the board.
Mr.. Christensen holds the belief that
the aim of cooperative marketing
among farmers lis to build an efficient
farmer owned and controlled marketing
system, thus giving the producer
larger net farm income without en-
HANGING prices to consumers"
The Senate In its consideration of
revision Of the tariff-with its proposals
Of increased duties for many agricultur-
al and industrial commodities evident
~ is keeping a weather eye upon the
customs of other nations, which, are
leading customers Of the United States.
To observers who have been following
the consideration Of the tariff, q report
just compiled by the Tariff Commits
sion for Congress upon the customs
laws of South American nations is re-
garded as indicative of the Senates
watchfulness in this direction.
The Tariff Commissions report said:
Latin American tariffs have always
been designed for revenue rather than
protection and Latin American coun-
tries without exception depend upon
the yield from revenue rates to much
larger extent than does the United
States" The tariff rates of Is Of the
20 Latin American nations are gener-