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Show by Frederick A. Tilton, the Third Assistant Post Master General. lie states that franked mail would produce less than $1,000,000 per year if it were charged for as other mail. The free distribution of county newspapers news-papers in their counties constitute only a little more than one per cent of the total weight of mail. All in all, free mailings would produce less than $10,000,00 if it were paid for only a small part of the deficit. As many know, newspapers can b: mailed free in the county of publication, publica-tion, except they are not delivered in towns where they are published, hut if this service, was paid for it would only amount to about three-quarters of a million dollars. Of the nearly ten million dollars worth of delivery service performed free by the Tost Office Department over $S,000,000 represents matter mailed by various governmental departments and institutions insti-tutions and nearly a million dollars worth of mail matter delivered for members of Congress. So, General Tilton says" that the free use of mails is unimportant in creating the postal deficit. "While an instance of the misuse of the free mail privilege may arise occasionally," occasional-ly," concluded General Tilton,he says, "it is gratifying to be able . to say that, considering the wide extent of such privilege, the instances of abuse are almost insignificant and, furthermore, further-more, that practically none of such instances are wilful but due rather to a misunderstanding as to what is entitled to bo mailed free." NOT VERY IMPORTANT. '.. Very often the charge is made that the deficit in the operations of the Tost Office Department is caused caus-ed by the franking privilege and other free mail distributed. This is denied |