The Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8736, 9 February 1907, Page 2

The Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

The unfavourable comments we made recently on the management of business .undertakings by Governments or municipalities receive striking confirmation from some figures with regard to the United States Postal Department. Shu annual renort of the PostmasterGeneral shows a deficit of £2,000,000, and is is clear that this is not duo to cheap postal or other facilities, because a proposal has been made to Government by private capitalists to take over the whole business on the j following terms. A company with a j capital of £10,000,000 will conduct the Pest Office under fall Government regulation. It will reduce postal rates by one half, pay Government rental for Post Glace quarters, and charge it regular rates for its postal business, eliminate all sina:ures, politics and the deficit. Lastly she company will pay ;;he Federal Sovonirnent all profits over seven :>er cent, on capital. From the above uroposals it is dear that the Postal Department in the United States is a luge- benevolent institution costing he country £2,000,000 a year. 'l'a.e u-fcsent deficit is said to be due to I hreo causes. (1) The i-scefii-iva .mounts paid fcr transportation in •! bo railway companies : (2) the gross . base of the franking privilege; and . 3) the department being run on , ureiy political lines, instead of on ] ommercial principles. It may bo i hat our Postal Department is free c rom all these defects and we gladly drnit that an attempt has been made ! 3 get rid of the undoubted evils of 1 le franking system though no corn- '

« per.saiion has boon provided for the ' (: ,'luca:ion boards, which have been dcpivr-d of considerable revenue by the ro/orra. Still the .experience oithe Uiu;cu States offers us 0:12 jnore warning as to the folly of entrusting any business thstfc can he conducted by private persons fo Government. If it be argued that in most countries the postal service is conducted by Government we would reply that this fact is no evidence that it could not be managed more .cheaply and efficiently if leased on a carefully drawn up agreement to a private person or ■company.

It is pc-sville 10 make money under the most unpromising circumstances, I but a recent device of somo negroes in New York to tui'c to prolit the race J hatred existing be twees whites and blacks in America is one of most surprising schemes that has yeicoiao under the notice of the public. The ' Afro-Ameriean IJealty Company, managed solely by negroes, has for two years past followed tho plan of buying or leasing properties in neighbourhoods in which only white people reside. A placard is put out inviting negro tenants. In all cases this has caused almost a panic' amongst adjacent property owner*?, who have beon only too willing to [ band together and buy out the I Degrees ut a handsome advance on { tho price paid. "When forming tho | company two yeara ago, J hiiip A, I. Pay ton, who ia now its president and I < moving spirit, issued a prospectus ia ('

which tho objects were frankly set forth. " Race prejudice is a luxury," he said, " and, like all other luxuries, can be made very expensive in New York City, if the negroes will but answer this call of the Afro-American Realtv Company." They answered the call to the tune of £IOO,OOO, but at present some of the s-hareholders seoin dissatisfied with Mr'Pay ton's management, and litigation _is pending which has drawn attention to the method of the comp any.