Show RATES HIGH ENOUGH SECOND-CLASS SECOND INCREASE PLAN STIRS PUBLISHERS Efficiency of Hitchcock's Management of the Post Office Department Attacked by the A A. N. N P. P A. A Washington The The A. A N. N P. P A. A through Its postal committee of ot which Don C. C Seitz Seltz of New York Is chairman chairman chairman chair chair- man has Joined In the fight against the proposed Increase In second-class second rates and In Its last bulletin the committee committee com corn attacks the management of the post office department The bulletin Is as as' as follows vs The extent to which the post postoffice postoffice office department does not carry sec see class ond matter Is well revealed In Inthe inthe inthe the following abstract of Inquiry of publishers conducted by house com corn on expenditures In the post postoffice postoffice postoffice office department William A. A Ashbrook Ashbrook Ash- Ash brook chairman concerning the volume volume volume vol vol- vol- vol ume weight and handling of the output output output out out- put of ot publications entered aa as mall mail matter of ot the second-class second for the tho fiscal year ending June 30 1911 4 Inquiry was made of all publishers publish publish- ers era approximating thirty thousand of ot which nearly seventeen thousand are I weekly publications ns More than ten thousand returns were received embracing sixty-six sixty I plus plu per r cent of all tonnage of pub pub- The publications reporting represent I sent an annual output of more than six and one half billion copies the theu weight of ot which was OMO oio and three- three quarter billion pounds 4 These publications delivered by mall mail In such period weighed pounds I They delivered by their own carriers carriers carriers car car- newsboys and news companies pounds of which an Unascertained unas unascertained Unas- Unas nas- nas percentage was carried to destination by express and other rail shipments outside the mall mail They delivered delivered de do- livered by express pounds and by other rail shipments pounds The rate rato by express and I rail varies from 4 to 1 cent perI per I pound but the bulk of these shipments shipments ship ship- I ments went at a rate rafe of to 3 cent per pt und 4 The post office for the year endIng endIng endIng end- end Ing June Jun 30 1911 handled and excluding one one half half million i pounds free in county matter it received re re- re- re I one cent per pound All this goes to add to the absurdity absurdity absurdity ab ab- ab- ab of the proposed Hitchcock legislation leg lege doubling the second class rate from one to two cents per pound and limiting the privilege to publications that carry as much reading matter as they do a. a advertising The he proposition was stupid enough w postal deficit reached 17 two years ago It becomes preposterous in face of ot a surplus What business has a transportation tion corporation which Is all the post postoffice postoffice postoffice office Is to prescribe how a business shall be conducted N Newspapers cannot afford to expand expand ex ex- their columns beyond the call of the days day's news nor can they be expected to control the requirements of oC their advertisers who have a right to reach the public as copiously as s they care to It cannot be assumed that such 1 n will Ill ever get by congress But publishers are r requested quested to fight the theory that the right to send their output by mail mall Is a a. privilege The figures show It is not The post office is a badly managed managed managed man man- aged business That Is all We Should hould fight Its dictation its censorship censorship censor censor- censorship censor ship and its inefficiency ency v |