Apa maksud yang addition of classes

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ADDITIONAL PRINTING ON THIRD- AND FOURTH-CLASS MAIL

Mr. RILEY. Yes, sir, that is a point we considered. I believe that it would be somewhat unusual for a commercial product to contain handwritten or typewritten instructions. It would not be practical.

Mr. OLSEN. Let me ask about mechanical devices, leg braces and one thing and another that are very individualistic or personal in their nature, and that is the leg braces or arm braces that are made for some particular individual.

If they come through the mails and have written instructions—if they weigh enough they will come parcel post, but what if there are handwritten instructions with such an item as that?

Mr. RILEY. At the present time the handwriting would subject the entire parcel to the first-class rate.

Mr. OLSEN. The only way they avoid that then is to have a package and it holds parcel post and then a separate letter of instruction probably going first class ?

Mr. Riley. Yes, sir, and we would permit the letter to be placed in the package. We do have that service. The letter could be placed in the package and the 4 cents for the letter could be placed on the outside of the package, along with the postage at the parcel post rate for the package.

Mr. OLSEN. If they are sending this medicine, let us pick up the heaviest of the examples that you have there and tell me if it just went as a bottle with a printed label, what would it cost?

Mr. RILEY. That would cost 3 cents.

Mr. OLSEN. Now that same sample, 3 cents plus instruction going in an accompanying letter, that we assume weighs less than an ounce, would be an additional 4 cents. So that would be a total of 7 cents.

Mr. RILEY. That is right.

Mr. Olsen. If, however, they sent that bottle with the typewritten instructions attached to the bottle, what would it cost?

Mr. RILEY. Eight cents. Four cents an ounce. The bottle weighs 134 ounces, so it would be 8 cents.

Mr. Olsen. We have to get into considerable weights here before it makes very much difference, do we not?

Mr. Riley. That is our position. We received letters last year claiming there was a difference of 70 and 80 cents in postage on packages of medicine. We could only figure they were sending the medicine c.o.d. and charging the customer the c.o.d. charges which include also a fee for the money order that is returned to the mailer,

In the case of third class, the limit of weight would be 15-plus ounces. Third class is limited to less than 16 ounces. Figuring 15plus ounces at the third-class rate, the maximum that could be paid would be 24 cents. The first-class rate, 15-plus ounces, would cost 64 cents. In the case of third-class mailings, the absolute maximum difference would be 40 cents. If they insure the packages or send them c.o.d. the costs, of course, are greater.

Mr. OLSEN. How about the practice of sending blood? Is that sent first class?

Mr. Riley. It would not be first class unless there was writing of some kind.

Mr. OLSEN. Does this blood plasma get any special treatment? Mr. Riley. No, sir. Mr. OLSEN. It just goes as third class ?

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Mr. RILEY. Yes, sir. They can, of course, pay for special service. If it is fourth-class matter there is a special handling service.

Mr. OLSEN. Is that a practice?
Mr. RILEY. I do not believe it is; no, sir.

Mr. OLSEN. The fact of the matter is that third class is such good service that that is the way they send !

Mr. RILEY. That is my understanding; yes, sir. I believe that in the case of these small prescriptions, in the small post offices, they are getting just as good treatment at third-class rates as they do at first class. Otherwise they would not want to mail it at the thirdclass rate.

Mr. OLSEN. I have no more questions. Mr. JOHANSEN. I have no further questions. Mr. OLSEN. Off the record. (Discussion off the record.)

Mr. JOHANSEN. The question has been raised here as to whether there is going to be additional or fewer problems for the Department if this legislation is enacted.

In your judgment, will the Department have more problems if they attempt to police present violations of present regulations and law, and will they in effect benefit by the enactment of this legislation by not having that policing problem?

Mr. RILEY. We feel there will definitely be some benefits, particularly if the bill is made general. Under present law mailers are entitled to put a description of the content in with either third- or fourth-class mail. There is such a fine line between the description of the content and any other information that might be enclosed, it is very difficult to distinguish,

Mr. OLSEN. Anything more than just instructions for use would put it back in first class again?

Mr. RILEY. Yes, sir. There would be some difficulty in determining what instructions for use are.

Mr. OLSEN. Surely, but if the druggist was writing a letter with the instructions for use, that would be a violation of the new act.

Mr. Riley. If the letter were to contain instructions for use, I think it would be permissible under this act.

Mr. OLSEN. Yes, but if it was anything more than instructions for use it would be a violation ?

Mr. Riley. Yes, sir. If he inquired as to the health of the patient and miscellaneous information of that nature, it would be definitely beyond.

Mr. JOHANSEN. But realistically, there is no reason to believe that sort of thing would happen, is there?

Mr. RILEY. No, sir; I do not believe so. I was thinking of other materials. We foresee that there might be some difficulty with instruction for use in the case of other items. I think in the case of medicine it would actually clear this up and would be equitable.

There is a point involved here. When a person mails a package and does just want to say what the contents are for, it is pretty hard to charge 4 cents an ounce for a large item. The first-class definition is very narrow. It simply provides that typewriting and handwriting is first class. There is no leeway even if they write only one word on the contents. There are a great many materials being mailed now

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