Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-21

in these departments. because we
recognize that they are performing a
service to the public. The Post
Office Department is not a public
utility. There is no more reason why
the individual letter-writer should pay
his exact proportion OF the cost of the
service than why the individual farmer
or business man should be charged
precisely what it costs 20 serve him
through the Agricultural or Commerce
Department. The taxpayers of the
country provide that service for the
individual farmer and business man.
And the taxpayers can well afford to
pay what it costs to give the American
people 2-cent letter postage" !
X X X x
Two-cent postage "is one of the Ma
TONS institutions" in the opinion of
the Portsmouth, Ohio, Times, which ex-
presses doubt that Postmaster Brown
will ever get very far with his recon-
mendation for an increase in the first
class rate" That paper favots the
indirect payment through taxation,
though 1t comedies that Mr.. Browns
arguments are sound and may lead TO
increased efficiency. The Butte Daily
Post states, "Of course, all the ex-
penSeS of the Post ONCE Department
have to be paid by the people, and the
annual deficit has been met by tax
alton"
1T is a public-service enterprise for
which the public pays" says the Haver-
hill Gazette, "and whether the public
pays in the form of rates ADEQUATE to
meet the cost of the service or in the
form of taxes to make up deficits is not
baSically important. This conclusion
does not mean that we oppose rates
adequate to meet the cost of the Serv-
ice. Such an increase would have the
desired effect of placing the cost of
the service on those who use the
service. Such an increase should not
be made, however. until department off,
Gals are sure that they are running
their department as efficiently as pos
sible. And. finally, an increase sue
cessfully applied should not be inter-
preted as establishing a business enter
prise on paying basis; it should be
understood as merely achieving con-
centration on single method of pay
ing for public service"
X x 4 4
mo one knows better than Oho's
member of the cabinet" suggests the
Cleveland Plain Dealer, "that factors
other than the present 2-cent postage
play part in keeping his operations
III l4lc leu. Lie II dIlhLIlB ABUSE ID OIlG
factor: virtual subsidy of airmail lines
is another" The Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin argues: "First-class mail is the
basic business of the Post ONCE De-
partment as a great public utility. It
has always paid its way, and does so
today. No deficit to which it does not
contribute should be charged against it,
so far as the consuming public is
concerned" advises the Kalamazoo Ca
zette, lit makes little difference whether
a postal deficit is prevented by higher
postage rate or made up from tax rev.
enues; in either case it is the public
which foots the bill. If Mr.. Brown for
any reason prefers the former way, how
ever, there can be no harm In his sub
hitting the idea before the bar of pop
ular sentiment"
mo other public utility" contends
the Yakima Daily Republic, would
expect to operate without loss II 1t did
an enormous amount of work for other
organizations without any compensa-
ton. The Post ONCE carries the mail
for every other department of the Gov
eminent free: the amount of the con-
greSsional mail carried under frank
would be enough to bankrupt any public
utility"