It has been repeatedly asserted by persons who are familiar with carriage and handling costs, both in the postal and private service, that the postal rate of 8 cents a pound for third-class mail matter has been maintained--and _is_ maintained--by reason of corrupt and corrupting influences (the coat-pocket “dropped roll,” the “job” bribe, the “deposit slip,” etc., etc.), which express and railway interests have liberally exerted upon federal legislators and upon executive and judicial officeholders--exerted upon “public servants.” However, that may be, the facts today are that the postal service rate of 8 cents a pound for third-class matter is so excessive--so conspicuously above the cost of the service rendered--that the express companies find no difficulty in under-cutting it--in many cases, _more_ than cutting it in half--and still reap _millions of profit_ from the handling of such matter. If a publisher has an edition of five, ten or one hundred thousand of a book to be delivered in piece, or single copies, an express company representative will see him at once--often see him before the book is from the press. If the publisher is doing a large and general business in book publishing or the book trade, the express companies have already seen him, by representative, and a carriage and handling charge agreed upon, under which the contracting or agreeing express company will handle any or all the publisher’s books, both single copies and trade shipments, at a rate much below the government’s postage rate of eight cents a pound. If a publisher brings out a book which weighs, when wrapped or jacketed for mailing, say one pound on which the mailing charge would be 8 cents, the express company tenders a rate of 7 cents. If the edition of the book is a large one the express company will tender a rate of 6 cents or even a rate as low as 5 cents or 4 cents. In performing such service the express company is a violator of _law_--_a brazen outlaw_. Yet the government not only permits this outlawry, but, by maintaining that excessive rate of 8 cents a pound, the government virtually _invites_ it. What I have above said applies with equal or even greater force to the transportation and distribution of mercantile and other catalogues, and of descriptive pamphlets, etc. However, I think sufficient has been said to cover the point raised. The government _persists_ in charging a third-class rate which virtually drives _thousands of tons_ of third-class matter to the express companies. The express companies handle this vast tonnage at a cost charge to the sender or shipper, ranging from 16⅔ per cent to 50 per cent _below_ the government’s mail rate.