ctually
to be paid.

Some who appeared before the Commission of 1911 were inclined to go
beyond these general contentions as to the relative claims of
second-class matter, and to assail the whole administration of the
department from the economic standpoint; challenging especially the
relations with the railway companies, and arguing that the payment made
for the conveyance of mails was not equitable when compared with the
charges made by the companies for similar services performed for the
express companies.

Notwithstanding these contentions, there can be no question that the
transmission of the second-class mail at the present rates involves the
department in heavy loss; and that Congress, not unaware of this,
attaches importance to the advantages which a low rate for such matter
confers. The Commission were satisfied on both points. It is, however,
doubted by many whether the effect of this privilege has been altogether
salutary from the educational point of view. It has encouraged to an
almost incredible extent the publication of periodical magazines, and
many of these magazines are of a high order of merit as periodical
publications. The United States leads the world in the publication of
this kind of matter.[353] But the reading matter which is found in these
publications is to a large extent light and trivial. The publication of
serious intellectual works has shown little advance in recent
years,[354] and there is a fairly widespread feeling in America that
the two developments are connected. But that is a matter difficult to
determine.

In any case, many people are proud of the development in periodicals,
and the department, in spite of its efforts, has so far failed to secure
any increase of rate. Although the Postmaster-General and the
President[355] adopted the recommendations of the Commission of 1911,
and urged their consideration on Congress, Congress has not taken
action, and has, indeed, forbidden the department to extend certain
arrangements for the use of freight trains for the transmission of
second-class matter, whereby a saving of expense could be secured, a
phenomenon probably explicable by the constitution of American
politics.[356]

* * * * *

NEWSPAPER POST IN FRANCE

In France, printed matter, whether issued periodically or otherwise,
seems always to have enjoyed a lower rate of postage than the written
letter. Before the Revolution there was diversity