Evening star., 1949-03-23

Need for Revenue Held
Pretext; Other Deficit
:, :, Agencies Are Cited
By David Laurence
Every now and then the Rus
slams accuse America Of Govern
ment control Of thought and Of
the press Most Americans laugh
off the charges. But every now
and then there is a modicum Of
truth in what the Soviet spokes-
men say. In all fairness-if con-
science Is still to be our guide
even in international debate-it
must be conceded that the press
and radio as we'll as the movies
in the United States are subjected
to forms Of actual and potential
censorship. These are by no
means limited to such worthy re-
straints as the prevention of
libelous statements or curbs on
the use Of obscene language.
Thus the Truman administra-
,tion. under the pretext Of a need
for increased revenue. proposes an
increase in postal rates which, it
has been brought out in testimony
before congressional committees
this month, would put out Of busi-
mess many publications and i'm
pose such heavy financial bur-
dens on others as to place the
entire publishing industry at the
mercy Of the Governments licens-
ing power.
The fact that a far less drastic
schedule Of rates may be finally
adopted than the 400 per cent in
crease now recommended by the
Truman administration does not
remove from the situation the ca
pacity of the Government over
night to ruin the publishing in
dustry.
License Power Abused.
The licenses to use the mails
are, Of course, within the power
of the Government to grant, but
when licensing power is abused
the motives behind such a penalty
need to be explored. The excuse
or pretext now is that the Post
Office Department has q deficit.
No other Government department
that serves the people is obligated
to collect for services performed
for the taxpayers sums equal to
the expenses Of that department.
Isn't this a service to the Ameri-
can people to be paid for out Of
general taxation?
The deficit of the Post Office
Department for all classes of
mail. amounting to $3.50 900 900 a
year, is only small fraction of
the $4,000. 100000 spent annually
by the United States to promote
democracy in other countries. No.
body has arisen to suggest that
this kind Of aid should pay its
own way any more than it is sug-
gested that the Department of
Justice ought to collect enough
money out of its law-enforcement
work to pay the expenses of the
department. 1t costs the Govern
ment about $s,5o0,O00 a year to
maintain the Library Of Congress
but nobody has suggested that an
admission fee be charged sufficient
to pay all the expenses Of that
Institution.
For many decades the postal
rates have been low because the
Government wished to follow out
the letter of the Constitution and
promote the distribution of edu-
cational material. Now. when
weekly and monthly magazines
reach 100000 buyers and daily
newspapers reach over 52,000,000
buyers. the Government intro
duces q special tax to be borne
by the distributors of knowledge
If the rates were nominal or in
keeping with past schedules, there
would be no finger Of suspicion
pointed at an administration
which has more than once shown
its hostility to the press because
the latter does not act toward
the administration in a subserv-
lent manner.
Threat to Business.
II the object is to intimidate
the press. no more clumsy way
: could have been selected, though
from now on the press will have to
: realize that overnight an un-
friendly administration, putting
pressure on a rubber stamp Con-
gress. can threaten the entire
structure Of the periodical-pub-
fishing business. It is the reading
public which would have to pay
the higher costs. No better way
to weaken democracy can be de-
vised than for a tyrannical ma
3ority to place higher and higher
tax on the dissemination Of knowl-
edge.
-. Another power which is already
subject to abuse Is that which
permits the Government to issue
. Or revoke licenses Tor radio sta
tions. Here intimidation by Gov
, ,ernment is not a potential theory
sbut fact.
Finally there is the case Of the
.S74.000,000 a year which a House
subcommittee revealed recently
was being spent oy the Govern
ment to influence opinion through
Government bulletins and through
Propaganda devices operated I'M
der; Government agencies and
officials.
: II American observers really