Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-05-25
From the North American.
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE TAX.

One OF the very curious and inconsistent fea-
lures of American legislation is exhibited in
the disposition to maintain high rates of post
age on newspapers passing through the United
States mails,-and to tax to the utmost, and by
taxation diminish as far as possible the spread
of, public intelligence.
1t were super1uous to say that the Ameri-
cans are reading people; but this expression
means that they are newspaper-readin peo-
pie. Newspapers are, indeed in great mea-
sure, the books of the United States; in which
all classes seek and find, prepared for them at
the lowest cost, instruction and information of
every character-as it regards public affairs and
the interests of private business-adapted to
the general wants of practical and self-go
erning eople.
Such vehicles of intelligence ought to be
supplied to the people of the United States
freely and cheaply; no difficulty OF discourage
ment should be interposed from any quarter
every effort should be made by individuals and
by government to open the whole land to the
circulation of the press, and to fill every cabin
with the daily or weekly sheets of what may
be properly called the Freemans Library. In
dividuals have done, and are daily doing, their
part In this matter-the newspaper publishers
are not wanting in duty: they furnish to the
public of the United States the cheapest, and
we may say, the best newspapers in the world;
and nothing is wanting but cooperative spi-
1t in the National Legislature, willingness TO
adopt proper system of mail transportation,
by which journals can be carried as cheaply as
they are printed, to remove the only obstacles
to circulation which now exist as burthen
and fetter upon the freedom of the press
Unfortunately, the National Legislature has
not yet shown any such spirit, or willingness
to cooperate in the cause of public intelli-
gence. England has made the great advance
of transporting newspapers in the mails with
out charge III the United States it is still the
system to make them principal source Of the
Post Office revenue,-to tax them, to encum-
Der them, indeed, 18th an impost which, con-
sidered in reference to the ad vdIorem princi-
pie, might be pronounced more oppressive than
the weightiest custom duties imposed on the
products of foreign capital and industry.
1t does not need any figures to prove the in
equality between the subscription price and
the postage of newspapers. The latter, to
country Misunderstanding, say, at a distance
of one hundred miles, constitutes tax,
which, in the case of the large daily papers,
amounts to about 40 per cent, in that of the
penny papers 100 per cent, ON the subscrip-
ton price,-an immense charge to be made for
the simple service of carrying, as compared
with the low sum which is to remunerate the
journalist for the varied labors and expenses OF
publishing newspaper, in business involv-
ing considerable capital and the employment
of many hands.
If postage must continue to be charged on
newspa pers in the United States, the rates
ought to be reduced to the lowest possible
scale: justice and sound policy,-the interest
OF the citizen and the department--equally re-
quire it. 1t is certain that, on the principal
mail routes, and in the vicinity of the large
cities, newspapers might be carried--and car
ried with profit to the transporter-at even
passenger rates;-that is, at price correspond
ing with the ordinary fare for travellers by the
usual modes OF conveyance by steamboat, rail
road and post coach. The average charge fol-
| transporting traveller and his baggage Ito
gether about 200 lbs.) is considerably UNDER
but we will take it at,-five cents per mile; OF
! IS per 100 miles-equal to 81 so per 100 lbs
| per 100 miles. At such rates, the transporta
ton of newspapers would prove highly profit
able, on such routes, to private carriers, who
will always be tempted by high rates to-ente
into competition with the department, which
can only be injurious to the latter. At such
passenger rates, mot to trouble the reader will
minute calculations,-we find that subscriber
to the North American residing at distance
of 100 miles, would have to pay for the deliv.
/
whereas, the Post Office charges, under the pre-.
sent arrangement, amount to no less than s;
10 year, or nearly four times as much.
| One little fact will give the reader lively
idea of the extent and oppressiveness of the
post-offlce tax in the transportation of news
papers. The weekly newspapers sustain post
age charge OF % cents per copy per year-al
though the average nett price to the publisher
is only about rs to so cents. There are, we
understand, about 100000 copies of such pa
pers mailed every week in Philadelphia, the
postage on which, supposing they went only
100 miles, would be $4,000 week, or 1884,
600 year; whereas, if carried by weight at the
above rates, for the above distance, the postage
would be only S4l5a week, or $2l ,500a year.
The whole annual value of these weeklies to
the publishers is about $l60,000; upon which
sum the Government, not only modesily OF
generously it may be thought, imposes mail
tax of Sl04 900. Truly, the Government comes
in for the lions share of the profits, and great
ly to the damage and wrong of the reader.
In fact the existing high rates of postage
have already had the effect to divert from the
public mails great deal of business, on those
very routes where business is. or ought to be
most profitable. Immense packages of period
icals, and to certain extent even of newpa-
pers, are transported by private carriers; and SC
HULL lCNCuuC 10, III consequence, lOSL ~ Tie
department. This is an evil which can only
be abated by Congress adopting system Of
low rates, under which there will be no in
Iducement left to the publishers to send, or sub
scribers to receive, their journals through any
other conveyance than that of the United States
mails.
/ We designed, but have not space, to com
ment on the provisions of the new.bill recent.
Ily reported to the House by the Post Office
tCommittee. 1t appears to be framed on much
more liberal principles than any similar bill
which has yet been before Congress;-but il
might be made still more liberal, without in
Jury to the public or the Post Office revenue
The WIG NATIONAL CoNvENTIoN-We
learn from the Philadelphia papers that the fol
lowing arrangements have been adopted in re
lation to the Wing National Convention o
) Nomination, and the Wing Young Mems Con
; vention of Ratification.
4 A committee will be in attendance at tn,
Wing Reading Room, N. E. corner of Sixth ant
: Chestnut streets, from the 9Th of June, between
5 the hours of 10 and II B. M, and to 10 P NJ
to register the names of the members of tn
Nom inatiou Convention and tn receive then