l'AGK O nra orrizicN, fkiday, mahcii j, 1012. MESSAGE OF TIE PRESIDENT f I Tall Agre3s Willi P an to Raise , Second Glass Mail Rates. GOMMSSION MAXES REPORT. Inquiry Board Advises Increasing Sec ond Class Rates Affecting Periodi cals and Newspapers From 1 Cent to 2 Cents a Pound, but That Present Free In County Privilege Bo Main tained. Washington. Feb. 22. President Tuft fens sent to both houses of congress ;i ipodnl message, accompanied by tlie annual report of the postmaster gen eral, for tbe fiscal year ended Jur.o BO, 1011. anil the report of the federal commission on second class mall mist ier. The president's message Is as fol lows: 1 To the Senate and House of Ilepre- j sentntives: I In transmitting the annual report of tbe postmaster general for the fiscal year ended June .".0. 1!)11. It gives mo pleasure to call attention to the fact that the revenues for the fiscal year ended .luue 30. 1911. amounted to $2u". S7t).S2.'M;o and that the expenditures amounted to $2.tT,UG0.T0 1.-1S. making a surplus of S21P.11S.12. Tor the year uded June 30. 1000, the postal servle was In arrears to the extent of $17. 470.770.47. In the interval this very large deficit has been changed into a surplus, and that without the curtail ment of postal facilities. Indeed, in the same time there have been established 2,744 new postollices. delivery by car rier provided in ISO additional cities and new rural routes established. 2,ril0 la uumber und aggregating 00.070 miles hi extent. The force of postal employees has been Increased by more than S.000, and a liberal policy In the matter of sal aries lias been followed, so. that the amount expended for salaries is now 514.000.000 more than two years ago. The average salary has been Increased from SSOO to $007 for rural carriers, $97!) to S1.0S2 for postoClce clerks, $1,021 to S1.0S4 for city letter carriers and S1.1CS to S1.1S3 for railway postal lerks. The Postal Savings System. The report shows that the postal pav ings system was begun experimentally iu January. 1911, and that it lias now fceen extended so as to hiclude 7,rn0 presidential postofilees. which includes practically nil of the postollices of that elass. Preparations are also uiliig made to establish the system at about 40.000 fourth class offices. The deposits- In eleven months have reached a total of SI 1.000.000, distributed among 2,710 national and state banks. The postmaster general recommends, as I have done in pievlous messape-i. the adoption of a parcel post and the beginning of this in the organization of such service on rural routes and !:i the city delivery service first. Tile pairing of assistant postmasters In t ': classified service has secured greater efficiency. It is hoped that the sat-.o thing may bo done with all the, post masters. The report of the postmaster general Is full of statements of the important Improvements In the organization ui I methods of the postal service inudi since the last annual report and of ten tative draft3 of legislation embodying certain recommendations of the depart ment which need legislation to carry them out. Opposes Government Control of Telo graph Lines. There is only one recommendation In wbi'b I cannot agree that is. ie whlcli recommends that the telegraph lines In the Culled States shouid b made a part of the postal system and operated in conjunction with the m:..i system. This presents a question i government ownership of public uMi tics which are now being conducted I v private enterprise under franthiv-i from the government. I believe tin i tbe true principle U that private enter prise should be permitied to carry on suc h public utilities under due regul't tlon as to rates by proper authority rather than that the government shuuld itself coiidm t them. This principle 1 favor because 1 do not think it in ac cordance with the best public policy thus greatly to Increase the body of public servants. Of course If it coi: i' be shown that telegraph service coe o be furnished to the public at a le price than it Is'now furnished to tl public by telegraph companies nv: with equal efficiency the argutne.n might be ti strong one In favor of tin adoption of the proposition. 1 Hut I am not satisfied from any evl dence that If these properties wore taken over by the government the could be managed any more economic ally or any more efficiently or that this would enable the government to fur nish service nt any smaller rate than the public are uow required to pay by private companies. i I cannot speak with too great empha sis of the Improvement In tho postolllce department under tho present manage ment. The cutting down of cost, the shortening of methods and the increase lu efficiency nre shown by tho statistics of the annual report. LOno of the most important matter frred to by the postmaster genera tho proposed fixing of new rates of postage for scent! rlcai mall matter. in connection with this subject 1 havn the honor to transmit, herewith the re port of tho romr.it iion on second class mail matter, appointed fmrsunnt to a Joint resolution of the Sixty-first con gress, approved March 4. mil. The commission consists of lion. Charles E. Hughes, associate Justice of the supreme court of tho United States; President A. Lawrence Lowell nf Harvard university and Mr. Ilnrry a. Wheeler, president of the Associa tion of Commerce of the city of Chi cago, whose character, ability aud ex perience command for their findings and recommendations the respect and confidence of the congress nnd tho country. The report discloses a most exhaus tive and critical Inquiry into the sub ject of second clnss mall matter after adequate notice to all tho parties in interest. Extensive hearings were held by the commission, at which the post master general and the second nnd third assistant postmasters general ap peared and submitted formnl state ments presenting the various conten tions of the postofilce department, to gether with nil the relevant official data and evidence relating to the cost of handling nnd transKirtlng second class mall matter. Certain of the lead ing magazines wpre represented by counsel, while various other publica tions appeared by representatives nnd were heard In oral argument or permit ted to submit written briefs setting forth their respective reasons for op posing a change In the present postage rate on second class mall. The second and third assistant postmasters gen eral, together with minor otlicers of the department, were critically cross exam ined by the counsel and representa tives of the periodicals, and all the vnrlous phases of tho second class post age problem were made the subject of n most palustnklug Investigation. Says Increase Is Justified. The findings of the commission con firm the view that tho cost of handling and transporting second class mail matter is greatly In excess of the post age paid ntid that an increase in the rate is not only Justified by the facts, but is desirnble. Tho commission reports that the evi dence submitted for Its consideration Is sufficient to warrant a finding of th approximate cost of handling and transporting the several classes of sec ond class mall known as paid at the pound rate, free in county nnd tran sient matter in so far as relates to the services of transportation, postofflce cars, railway distribution rural deliv ery and certain other items of cost, but that It is without adequate data to de termine the cost of the general post office service and also what portion of the cost of certain other aggregate services Is properly assignable to sec ond class mail matter, it finds that in the fiscal year 100S. the period for which the statistics for the postofilce department were complied, the cost of handling and transporting second class mall In tbe items of transportation, postofilce cars, railway distribution, v ral delivery and certain miscellaneo-s charges was approximately 0 cents it pound for paid at the pound rate mat ter and far free in county and translei t matter each approximately 0 cents a pound and that upon this basis, as modified by subsequent reductions in the cost of railroad transportation, the cost of paid at the pound rate matter for tho services mentioned is now ap proximately ."'i routs n pound, while the cost of lree In county aud transient matter rem ins as formerly namely, each at approximately 5 cents a pound. Since the commission has determined that the cost of handling aud trans porting second class mall is approx imately r"j cents for matter paid at the pct'-l rate and approximately fi cents each 1 r free in county and tran sient matte", without taking into ac count tho cost of the general postofilce service and certain unassignable Items of expense, t is apparent that the ag gregate cost of nil service performed by the postal estnbllshment In connec tion with tl 'S class of mall matter is consider: bly above that amount. Postal Service Self Sustairing. The postni service Is now. for the first time In years, operated upon a self sustaining basis, and In my Judgment this Is a wise policy, but It should not be carried out at the expense of certain classes of mall matter that pay reve nue largely In excess of their cost. It is not just that some classes of mail should bo exorbitantly taxed to meet a deficiency caused by other classes, the revenue from which Is much below their cost of handling nnd carriage. Where such inequalities exist thev should be removed as earlr as practi cable. The business enterprises of the publishers of pciindli als, however, have been built up on the basis of the present sernd class rate, and there fore It would be manifestly unfair to put Into Immediate effect n largo In crease In postage. That nows'iiipers and macnzlnes have been potent agencies fur the dissemi nation of public intelligence and havo consequent!'- tmrne a worthv part In the development of the country all must admit but It N llkpwlse true that the ork-lnal uurpiwe of congress In pro viding for t'lein n subvention by way of nominal postal charges in considera tion of thuli value ns mediums of pub lic Information ought not to prevent an Increase, because they nre now not only educational, but hluhly profitable. There Is no warrant for the crest dis parity between esNtltig posture rates on periodicals nnd the cost of the serv ice the t'overtime'it performs for them. The iifgregnte postal rpvenniw for the fiscal e.nr 1911 were ,.,"7.oto so- c), derived mnhilv from the potage col lected' on the four clnswes nf 'nut' nutt ier. It N carefu'lv estimated by tho postofflce dennrtmeut that the rpvemi derived from mall matter of tho f'.rst class is approximately one nnd one-half times the cost t,f I: :t:dilng nnd carriage, that the returns from third nnd fourth class matter are R'.lfihily In excess of their cost of handling and carriage, and that while uerotid class matter em braces over .ri per cent nf tho entire weight of all the umll carried II never theless yield llltlc more than 5 per cent of the postni revenues. Reviews Recommendations. The recommendations of the commis sion as to the postage rates on second clnss mall nro as follows: First. Tho rate of 2 cents a pound on copies mailed by publlsticrn to subscribers, to news nRFn:s nnd n snmplo copies nnd by news tiRnntn to their subscribers or to other news nccnts. Second. Tlio rate of 1 cent for each four ounces for copies mnlled by other thnn publishers and news agents-thnt Is, tho present transient rato. Third. The present frco In county privi lege retained, but not extended. The commission nlso recommended thnt the cent a copy rato for newspa pers other than weeklies nnd for peri odicals not excecdlug two ounces In weight nnd the 2 cent n copy rate for periodicals exceeding two ounces In weight, when mailed at a city letter carrier office for local delivery, be abolished. As to the effect and adequacy of the proposed Increase of 1 cent n pound In postage the commission says: Such nn Increnso will not. In the opinion of the commission, bring distress upon tlv publishers of newspapers and periodical? or seriously Interfere with the dissemina tion of useful news or Information A reasonable time should be allowed, nfter the rate Is fixed, before It Is put Into effect. While the new rate will be far from compensation the government for the carriage and handling of second clat mntter. It will to some extent relieve the existing burden and result In a more equitable adjustment of rates. Suggests a Cost System. The commission suggests that the department "maintain nn adequate cost system, so that the effect of the new rates may be closely observed and a proper basis may bo secured for the consideration of any future proposals." In these recommendations the post master general nnd 1 heartily concur and commend them to tbe early atten tion of congress. The proposed In crease of 1 cent a pound in the second class postage rate I believe to be most reasonable, and if sufficient time Is allowed before the change goes into effect It should work little serious in jury to the business of tho periodical publishers, while equalizing, nt least In n mearuro. the burdens of postal taxation. WILLIAM II. TAFT. THE COMMISSION'S REPORT. Recommendations Made Concerning Second Class Mail Matter. The repor of the commission on sec ond class mail mutter is an exhaustive document, containing a hundred pages of primed matter. t The commission, in addition to mak ing the recommendations mentioned in the president's message, nlso gives many statistics showing the relative amounts ol he different classes of mail matter hat lied by the postofflce de partment ai.d the cost in detail. The cost and methods of handling mail on railway cars are also carefully considered. The report says In part: The existing rates on second class matter nre those established by the a t of 1S79 as amended in 1SS4 and ISSo. Increase In Volume. Our attention has been directed to tho fact that the postmasters general in their annual reports have repeatedly commented upon the Increase In the volume of second class matter and upon the disparity between the sup posed cost of transporting and han dling li in the mails aud the amount received as postage. Their estimates evidently reflected the opinio-! of tho ollhers of the department, but they were based upon general experience in the service aud not upon u scientific ascertainment of cost. The first question that arises in re gard to the rate Is whether any dis crimination, should be made between different kinds of second class matter. The plan proposed ot charging a special rate for the portions ot magazines de voted to advertisements seems open to grave practh al objections. The amount of space ghon to advertising is no cri terion of the educational value of a magazine, and if t lie same provision were applied to newspapers the at tempt to measure the space occupied by advertisements would involve more labor than is consistent with the rapid dispatch of the daily press. We conclude that whatever increase be made should apply a'lke to newspa pers aud periodicals admitted to the second class and that it Is Imprac ticable In the easp of newspapers to charge a higher rate for space given to advertisements. It has been suggested that the proportion of this space should be limited for all second class mutter, but the true definition of such mntter Is that whh h is devoted primarily to the diseemlnatlnn of news and of cur rent literature end Instruction, nnd we are not convltii ed that this can bo measured by au arbitrary standard of the proportion of spin e given to adver tisement. A Serious Question. The question of raising the rate on second, class mntter mailed by publish ers and news agents from 1 cent to 2 cents a pound is a serious one. Hut we nre of opinion that the change Is reasonable and shott'd be made. A reasonable time should bo allowed, after the p'to Is fixed, before It Is put Into effect. While the new rate will bo very ftr from compensating tho gov ernment for the crrrlnge and handling of second c'nss matter. It will to sorao extent -o!ere the existing burden and result in a more equitable adjustment of rates. BASQUE EFFECTS. Lace un Important Fac tor of Summer Frocks. DEMOHTFUL COSTCHK OP TAN HOT. Hasque effects are being pushed by designers of costumes this season, but it remains to be seen whether the Idea is going to "take" with their patrons. The gown Illustrated shows the basque notion in its Incipient stage. The ma terial employed in this costume Is a pale tan net trimmed with bands of venise lace. The lace of the bodice is also mounted on the tnn net. A very modish touch is to be found in the plaited frill at the foot of the skirt and the slashed trimmed velvet coat, with buttou trimmed coattails at the back. For tho Girl Who Sews, A bright young girl whose pet fad is harmony in the matter of the little details of dress, devising always some original touch wldch will tell those who see that her costume was design ed as a whole, not being merely a chance collection of dress and acces sories, evolved a charming and grace ful fichu and cuff sot to which any color touch desired can be added, ac cording to the dress with which it is to be worn. The fichu itself is of the usual drap ed surplice shape, curved to fit over the shoulders aud trimmed with dainty lace frills. The inner edge is also of. lace. Aloug the middle of the fichu following its longest line Is n strip of velvet ribbon or folded satin, of a tint to match the gown, that Is held In place by little cross straps of lace about three Inches apart, out from which it can be drawn when the fichu Is laundered or when It is to be re placed by some other color. The cuffs to match this were deep ones, turned back, with double rows of lace frills an inch deep at the up per edge. Around the body of each enff went the strip of satin or velvet to match that used on the llehu. and this again was apparently secured by the tiny straps of lace which crossed It. but which was also, as In the ease of the fichu, caught here and there by an invisible stitch to prevent any acci dent or slipping from place. The nar row girdle was also of the same ma terial as the colored "Inset." Concerning Women. Miss Louise Brown, an Instructor at Wellcsley college, is the first woman to receive the Herbert Baxter Adams prize of $200 offered every two years by the American Historical association for the best essay on European history. Miss Brown's essay was one of a very large number submitted by representa tives of many leading colleges through out the couut.'.v. The Countess of Warwick Is plan ning n lecture tour in the United States ami Canada, for which she has pre pared three subjects. One deals with woman suffrage and the other two are on communism and celebrities she has met. Miss Harriet Keeler has recently been appointed superintendent of schools In Cleveland. O. A woman Is tenement Inspector In that city, having i charge of the sanitary policemen; a 1 woman Is assistant librarian, a woman has charge of outdoor relief, two wom en are on the school board, one having been elected clerk, making six Impor tant positions tilled by women In a city which two years ago had but one woman In public office, a member of the board of education. Mrs. Sarah Piatt Decker of Denver, ex-president of the General Federation nf Women's Clubs and a possibility as United States senator, in n recent in terview said that a woman's party Is under consideration In Colorado, as they have found Isith of the old polit ical parties permeated with corruption if, idfttS M ISM HUMOR OF THE DAY Has It Ever Occurred to You? A pretty hand was placed In mine. Ab I fondled It und grasped it tightly for fear it would get away n new world seemed to open before mo. Oh, how my heart was beating! My blood seemed leaping through my "clus, and 1 know that tho color camo and went In my face. All wns quiet for a moment, words for tho time seeming unnecessary. Again I looked at Hint llttlo hand, that pretty hand. It did not move nnd seemed to bo resting quietly and lov ingly In my own. I tried to speak, but couldn't, Tbe room seemed to be whirl ing around, and, nit hough I was ex tremely happy, my Hps were dry and no word was uttered. At last I tenderly laid It down, con fident that I had won. But, nlas, It was not to bo! That pretty hand really meant my downfall. "Four kings here," snld a voice from across tho table, and Instantly I real ized my grent loss. As he reached for the stacks of chips In the middle of the table I saw that pretty hand that lovely mitt which had rested for a mo ment in my own swept Into tho dis card. Four queens had met their fate. Spokane Spokcsmnn-Itcvlew. Force of Habit. Tho Ilev. Allen Fort, pastor of the Bnptlst tabernncle in Chattanooga, nsked J. B. Cnpeheart, a railroad con ductor, to take up tho collection one day. it was Mr. Capcheart's first expe rience ns a taker of collections In a church. lie started down the center aisle. There were several children In the first pew, nnd each put In n penny. The people In tho next pew also contributed something each. A big, glum fellow sat alone in the third pew. Cnpeheart passed him the plate. Tho man shook his head and stuck his hands deep In his pockets. Cnpeheart stopped, put up his hand as If to jerk tho bell cord and said. "Well, you'll have to get off." Satur day Evening Tost. Anxiety of Noah. It was the first dny out, and Noah was standing on the upper deck nerv ously sweeping the vast expause of the waters with his eye. "'Smatter, pop?" said Shorn, leaty ing against the rail beside his father "Anything gone wrong?" "I don't know," said the old gentle man. "But if the wind continues to blow in this direction I'm afraid we'll land somewhere In the United States, and If that happens the duty on this menagerie of ours will bust me." Whereupon, ringing for the library steward, the skipper called for a copy of tho latest tariff schedule and spent the remainder of the morning in an anxious perusal of the same. LIppin cott's. A Vain Flirtation. A young man came out of a West Federal street picture theater one evening Inst week leading by the arm a companion who appeared to be In a somewhat dazed condition. The door tender looked at the two In surprise, as the exhibition had started only a few minutes before. "Don't you like the show?" he asked. "Yes, It's all right," replied the man who led his companion, "but my friend here is a tritle under the weath er, nnd he Insists on flirting with the girls on the films." Youngstown Tele gram. A Future Financier. A. very nice young man was calling on his sister. To make things easy, lie gave him a beautiful new penny, say ing, "Save each penny and soon you will have a dollar." "I'll soon have a dollar!" replied tho boy, with great eagerness. The young man smiled good natured-1.'-. dti'r Ituo bis pocket, saying: Wei'. !u t ''ow much more do you nee '. ':" ' '. ' i ' ' -." ! - it ' '. ii di 'lar. -.Indue. IT3 V i 1 m . y U KtH' -V . FOR RELIABLE HEATING! PLUMBING CONSULT S. E. Morrison I2tli and Kimble St. COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE "CAIMTOL" Boilers and Radiators. "LHAHHIt" Air pressure water systems. "OOULD" Pumps. "STAIt" Windmill. The above goods represent the best products In the market. Tho use of them coupled with our 20 years' practical experleuto at the business Insures you a lasting and satisfactory Job. Correspondence Solicited. Itoth 'Phones. I A n mil a i uifi er, i III vlijli hi mil I l"l B mm mm ml 1 1 U -m Wfm W1 au UU M I, U U 1 I IV. Fire Insurance The 01 hFST FifP Tneitrnnr Agency in Wayne County. Dflice: Second floor Munnnin Unit i.. ... ... u n T,i...i., .. .1 .... iionsuaie. II n Uf n. r . weave a lit i i n ni fiiiiiipiii i 'i m utiiioir 4 l.ill I fl.l n II II IIV lllVUlhUWU U1IU MU1IUW1 n i s rr jl : a. Furnished Dnnirlnnnn lOITl 17 not C W. C. SPRY BEACH LAKE. AUCTIONEER HOLDS SALFX ANVWHEUE l. a t A i r,. CANDIDATE FOU ASSEMBLY. I herobv announce tn the voters Wayno county that I am for tho se UUU (lilU IDSL LUUt: il Cllllll UilLH 1 1 r LI nomination and election for Renr scntatlvo In tho General Asserab . I I 1 ,. . . . T , , , i liiu aiu uum suijijui l ui un my iriun at the Primaries to be held April 1 1912. H. C. JACKSON. Tyler Hill. Pa lloel EXPEDIENCE .V TnADE Mahks i!tt&vtM Designs ftfVVM Copyrights Ac. Anrnne sending n kpt- h r,ni ricripMnn mn $pecm notice, winiout clmrco, in luo Scientific Jfmcricati. n nnimoumi'iT t inmi m-ciiiT. jJtri'f'i i"i Tf-ip! four nioiiLlid. IL Sold by nil nemsilculr P1MMM o n M... V. ' MUmi &UU.uoluroaawa,r'UUW Hit Iiraucn onico. PL. Washington, I. (J. DR. E. F. SCAN LOW Ic iuiim in ' r i.i. in 20 Ye rs' Sui -e-i In this 1 it y GuringRupture,Varicoce! Hydrocele, Pl!c. and 1-tsti J'lyi'Ht'S I .Mt'll-lll business. Dr. K. V. Hcanlon mivs : "Trusses will i cure rupture." L'omo to me and I will cure you I you will not need to wear a truss. INTERVIEW OR WRITE THE CURED PATIENTS Tliomns 1,. Smith, Orson. Wayne Co., 1': ltunttirf. Peter I.. A lien. 5 Seventh Ave.. Cnrhonil I'.i. Ilx iliocele. Ill lierl 11 Kmitin A lilenvilln wnvnp I ra limtiire. J. n. .MCi Ulllliui. ail .Minn i.iiii-uill rtvci Scranton. I'u. Kunture. I'll, IB .1. II II UIU. 1 ll'llMlllt .'lUlfllL. ,1.1 i o.. ra. isiipture. in., buiium !-. r.' to 1 1 in Satisfactory urraiisumt nts niaj be made i reoii. Ciiiisultiitloii ami Kx.imltmtlui) 1-ree. OKI-It KS 1.0 I.Imlen St . SC It iMt'N KRAF! & CuNbt D L W A HON DALE, P Rporesent Reliable 'nmnanies ONiY HONESDALE, PA. Fort 1 vox in r ii j ii i 4S
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers