(The prepared statement of Dr. Poling follows:) STATEMENT OF DR. DANIEL A. POLING, EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN, My name is Daniel A. Poling, and I am chairman of the board of Christian Herald Association, and editor of Christian Herald magazine. Christian Herald is now in the 83d year of publication. Together with these other representatives of nonprofit religious organizations, I desire to go on record as opposing the portion of House bill No. 11140 which reads as follows: "That on and after the effective date of this section, the rate of postage on newspapers or periodicals maintained by and in the interests of religious, educational, scientific, philanthropic, agricultural, labor, veterans, or fraternal organizations not organized for profit and none of the net income of which inures to the benefit of any private stockholder or individual, and religious, educational, or scientific publications designed specifically for use in school classrooms or in religious instruction classes shall be the rates required to be paid on publications generally except that the rates prescribed in this subsection shall be reduced by 50 percentum." My associate from Christian Herald Association, Mr. Ford Stewart, who is president and publisher, will be able if the committee desires to give what the financial result would be to Christian Herald and Christian Herald charities should this portion of the bill be enacted. But now for a few minutes only, I shall share with you my deep concern over two basic principles involved in the nonprofit portion of H.R. 11140. First, Christian Herald Association, with all other nonprofit organizations, would be placed in the position of a discount house by a 50 percent reduction on the second-class rate charged to other users. The most obvious analogy is our nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Bureau. To me it seems altogether out of order for nonprofit organizations to be charged 75, 50, or 25 percent of regular taxes. Surely an institution is either nonprofit under the law, or it is not nonprofit. I feel very strongly that the discount approach is for Christian Herald and for all other nonprofit agencies in basic error. Surely the discount principle involves tacit acceptance of the principle of the basic rate in which the discount is taken. Surely in this present bill, the whole concept of public service of second-class mail (a concept worked out very carefully in 1958) has been emasculated. Christian Herald would be in the position of accepting discount which is based on the rate fixed for profit organizations. It is our conviction that this interpretation of the second-class rate turns away from the fully intended consideration and recognition of vital public service. Second, my second major concern is the impossibility of separating from a nonprofit standpoint a portion of an operation such as Christian Herald Association, from its total program. For just one moment will you look with me into this program? The end result of our endeavors on Christian Herald magazine serves to support three charities: (1) The Bowery Mission, New York's oldest rescue mission with a history of nearly 80 years; (2) Mont Lawn, the children's home at Nyack-on-the-Hudson which has operated for more than 70 years, and which receives underprivileged children of all races, faiths, and color from slum areas. Services to these children is rendered without 1 cent of charge; (3) Christian Herald missions and orphanages overseas-in Korea, on Formosa, and in Hong Kong. In these 11 institutions we care for as many as 1,600 babies and little girls and boys. Last year we raised over $500,000 for these charities, and the direct contact between the donors and the children, the lost men and women on the Bowery, was through Christian Herald magazine. We now have more than 40,000 individual supporters of these charities. And all of these friends are reached and held by advertisements and articles appearing in Christian Herald, such as these: DISPLAY ADS AND ARTICLES FROM COPIES OF CHRISTIAN HERALD Any increase in the nonprofit postal structure really amounts to a tax against these charities because any surplus of the magazine goes directly to these charities under our overall nonprofit membership charters. It so happens in the last few years that rising costs on the magazine operation have forced us to a breakdown position rather than having a surplus to turn over to the charities. H.R. 1140 would be a most damaging bill to our entire structure. We take pride in the fact that many areas of American life benefit from and need a magazine such as Christian Herald. We are sure that this committee does not wish to damage Christian Herald nor what it stands for and serves. But should H.R. 11140 be enacted into law, the result would be almost irreparable harm to us. I thank you for giving me and my associates your time and attention. Mr. REES. We are honored by your presence here this morning, Doctor. Dr. POLING. I am honored by the privilege of being here, gentlemen. Mr. BROYHILL. Mr. Chairman, as the cosponsor of this legislation under consideration, I should like to associate myself with the remarks made by the chairman in approving the action taken by the Postmaster General in recommending that these items be deleted from the bill. Mr. PORTER. Was this not in the gentleman's bill, though? Mr. BROYHILL. Oh, yes; and as sponsor of that legislation, I am in wholehearted accord with it. The CHAIRMAN. The gentlemen introduced the same bill which I, as chairman, introduced, which was the bill sent down to us by the Postmaster General. The next witness is Father Albert Nevins, president of the Catholic Press Association. We will be glad to hear from you, Father Nevins. Father NEVINS. Thank you. STATEMENT OF FATHER ALBERT NEVINS, M.M., PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC PRESS ASSOCIATION Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I come here this morning to speak to you on behalf of the Catholic Press Association of the United States, an organization whose membership represents every part of our Nation, and which I have the privilege to serve as president. The Catholic Press of the United States consists of 131 newspapers and 449 magazines with a combined circulation well in excess of 25 million. I believe it is the strongest and most vital religious press to be found in any nation of the world. The Catholic press of the United States was not founded for the purpose of profit, but to serve the cause of religion and morality. This is its only reason for existence. In fulfilling this end, the Catholic press, as well as the entire American religious press, renders particular service to our Nation, because a country can only be as strong as its people. Mr. PORTER. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would excuse me, since the chairman has said he does not believe this legislation will be passed, as it has to do with what the gentleman is concerned about; since the Postmaster General has withdrawn his recommendation, I respectfully submit that you do not need to convince anybody. Your statement certainly should be filed, but in my opinion, there is no necessity for going into something that everybody agrees on. The CHAIRMAN. I think Father Nevins is entitled to complete his statement. Mr. PORTER. I just put it to the good Father, that it is not necessary. Father NEVINS. I think something should be said for the record, Congressman, and I also feel that just because the Postmaster General has made a recommendation does not necessarily bind this committee or govern what Congress is going to do. Mr. PORTER. This committee, however, I am sure, had no such disposition, even before the Postmaster General made his statement. Father NEVINS. That may be true, sir, but at least this committee has been taking testimony on this bill, and this provision is still in this bill. Mr. PORTER. Yes; indeed. The CHAIRMAN. We will be glad to hear from you in full, Father Nevins. Father NEVINS. I know that you gentlemen do not underestimate the threat of the influences and trends that today eat like termites into the foundations of our free society. It is therefore necessary that we have a dynamic religious press capable of awakening the American people to the problems of our times, a press that not only provides information but more importantly formation. Any action that weakens this press and makes it less effective can only in the long run be detrimental to our country as a whole. I do not have to tell you gentlemen of the unceasing campaign carried on by the Catholic press in behalf of good citizenship and the preservation of national ideals, a campaign that is prosecuted with equal vigor by Protestant and Jewish publications. You are familiar with the support given to the Post Office Department in its struggle against printed smut, to the Department of Justice in its fight against juvenile crime. I know that you are aware that the Catholic press was positively engaged in alerting our country to Communist infiltration away back in the days when communism was a preferred parlor game in certain segments of our intellectual society, and that the Catholic press has always been active in revealing to the American public the insidious moral corruption of Communist techniques and aims. But there is one aspect of the Catholic press that not too many Americans know, and that is what the Catholic press represents around the world. The majority of our publications exist to make known the work of some society or organization, many of which are engaged in international operations. Take the publication of which I am editor, for example, the Maryknoll magazine. Through this publication, Maryknoll reaches its friends from whom come its personal and financial support. I could spend a long time describing the various and multitudinous social welfare, educational, and relief operations conducted by Maryknoll in all parts of the world. Suffice it to say, the committee can gain this information by consulting pages 143 through 152 of the "Directory of American Voluntary and Non-profit Agencies Interested in Technical Assistance," published by the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service, Inc., where our program is outlined. This aspect of the Catholic press is very important to underdeveloped nations and to our own country, since it supplements our national policy at no cost to our Government or to our citizens in taxes. Under proposals before this committee, the increases of my own magazine would vary from 15 to 896 percent, not to mention the additional costs in salary and overhead for carrying out the new require ments. The extreme second-class proposal of 12 cents and 11⁄2 cents each surcharge would cost us an additional $178,735.70. Thus, our overseas operations would have to be cut by this amount. The inclusion of "house advertising" in the proposals would place a tax on our relief and charitable operations around the world. Does the committee have in mind a charge on public service advertising carried by our publications at the request of the Advertising Council and governmental organizations? Does the committee wish to charge us for seeking aid for Hong Kong refugees or typhoon victims in Formosa or earthquake homeless in Chile? These are the type of house ads we carry. Because the Catholic press represents a cause and not an economic investment, our publications operate on the narrowest of margins, and in many cases are already publishing at a deficit made up by the sponsoring organization. The proposed postal increases would have the greatest effect on those least able to afford them, and these struggling publications would be particularly penalized by the new legislation, especially on the per-piece charges proposed. In a survey made among our members, I have been told by a number of them that they would have to cease publication or completely revise their publishing approach if the new rates are adopted. I do not think any member of this committee would desire this end, particularly since the religious press is so urgently needed today. I would conclude, gentlemen, with a fervent petition that Congress continue to recognize the traditional importance of our religious press to our national welfare. I would ask consideration for the international technical and social welfare programs that a substantial portion of our press represents. On behalf of the 500 members of the Catholic Press Association, and in conjunction with the representatives of our other faiths, I earnestly urge that the present rate structure for the religious press be continued. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions of Father Nevins? The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Cunningham. Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I have no questions; but as a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Obscenity, I certainly want to take this means to express the appreciation of the committee for the work your publication has been engaged in in support of this drive to get rid of this smut. They really have done an outstanding job, and I wanted to thank you publicly. Father NEVINS. Thank you, Mr. Cunningham. Mr. PORTER. I would like to ask the gentleman if he agrees that public service costs-and certainly your publications come under the heading should be paid for by the other users of the mail or by the general fund, by the taxpayers in general. Father NEVINS. I think it should be paid by the general taxpayers. But I do not think it would be fair to penalize other users of the mail. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Father Nevins. Father NEVINS. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will next hear from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, editor and chief of Guideposts, New York, N.Y. 55906-60 -28 STATEMENT OF DR. NORMAN VINCENT PEALE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, GUIDEPOSTS, NEW YORK, N.Y. Dr. PEALE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I appreciate the opportunity of appearing before you this morning. I am rather disappointed, though, by the turn of events, in a sense, because I had a powerful speech to make to you; but my thunder has been stolen. The CHAIRMAN. You do not regret the attitude now of the Postmaster General, do you, Dr. Peale? Dr. PEALE. No, only in that it prevents me from making the speech. But I might say, with religious terminology, "Amen," to both of the reverends who have preceded me. We were pleased to have you read, sir, the letter from the Postmaster General, indicating his wish that this particular feature be omitted; and I am also greatly pleased by the obvious unanimity with which the members of the committee apparently support this proposal. I feel that the nonprofit publications should be considered separately and not in any sense related to the other publications, as was intended. I listened to Father in his statement as to the difficulty one has in financing religious publications, and I can testify to my own personal familiarity with that situation. My own magazine, Guideposts, happens to be issued by a publishing board consisting of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant representatives. We are attempting to operate an interfaith publication, to demonstrate that while there are differences beween these faiths which should be respected and recognized, there are certain unities among them: namely, faith in God and in the Constitution of the United States. This magazine tries to help people along that line. We do appreciate so much your interest in helping the nonprofit magazines to render a contribution. As a private citizen, I am concerned with balancing budgets. Even though I am a minister, I believe in balancing budgets. I have spent my whole life trying to balance my own budgets and the church budget, and I realize that the Government has its problems, in which we would like to have a reasonable part, as indicated. But I do wish to express the hope that the committee will go along with the suggestion of the Postmaster General, and that this particular item will be eliminated by Congress from the legislation. Thank you so much for your time and attention. The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. Are there any questions? Mr. PORTER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the same question I asked the other gentlemen, of Dr. Peale. Do you believe that these extra costs, public service costs, should be paid by the taxpayers in general or by the other users of the mails? Dr. PEALE. My answer is the same as the two who have preceded me. I think that is a cost that should be levied against the taxpayer. Mr. PORTER. Then, secondly, did the Postmaster General indicate what made him see the light about your publications? Dr. PEALE. Congressman, I got no indication as to how the light did dawn in his mind, but I was just pleased that it did. |