[1] Now, see here, Samuel, if you have any knock to make about the liberties I may take with your Saturday Evening Post informative article, knock me, not my publisher. I may quote and even disfigure a little, but I assure you the latter will be far this side of the ambulance.
Postmaster General Hitchcock’s persistent activity in seeking to push the “rider” through the Senate was a noticeable feature in the closing hours of that session of Congress, his industry showing in his daily contact on the floor of the Senate with the members who seemed pliable or willing to harken to his wishes in the matter pertaining to the legislation he wished to have made into law. The following communications, adroit and carefully worded to Chairman Penrose, boldly justified the increase on second-class matter, and may be regarded as the dying struggle of the postoffice head to gain his point.
The italics are the writer’s and set out the controversial promiscuousness of the Postmaster General. The letters bear date February 14-15, 1911:
MY DEAR SENATOR:--In response to your request I _submit the following statement_ relative to the section of the postal appropriation bill, H. R. 31539, now pending in the Senate that provides for an increase in the postage rate on the advertising portions of periodical publications mailed as second-class matter.
Under the provision in the bill the postage rate on the advertising pages of magazines is increased from 1 cent to 4 cents a pound, _but this increase does not apply to newspapers of any kind_, nor does it affect periodical publications mailing less than 4,000 pounds each issue. By the terms of the provision the privilege of carrying advertisements is for the first time extended to several classes of periodical publications enumerated in the act of March 3, 1879, namely, the periodical _publications of benevolent or fraternal organizations, of regularly incorporated institutions of learning, of trade union organizations, and of professional, literary, historical, and scientific societies, including state boards of health_.
As the advertising portions of magazines comprise on an average about a _third_ of their total weight the effect of an increase from 1 to 4 cents on the advertising pages will be to advance the postage rate for second-class matter as a whole about 1 cent, making the second-class rate 2 cents a pound instead of 1 cent, as at present. In view of the fact that it costs the government about 9 cents a pound to handle and transport this class of mail the proposed increase is an exceedingly moderate one.