Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-09-27

TO the large mails, on the contrary, there i.
a great additional expense occasioned by
the ~oight of the newspapers. Some New
York papers put into the mails paper weigh
ing ton, a ton and half, or more, weekly
Such an amount of freight is not carried
without expense. 1t is taken into the ac-
count in the contracts. 1t has It's influence
upon the cost of transportation OH all the
great thoroughlarcs. 1t is said that the De-
pariment is now taxed by the newspaper
circulation to the amount of S:,Si 600
Most of this large balance must be CHARGED
to the city newspapers-wc presume, the
whole Of it, if not more. Vermont news
papers, we venture to say, pay the Depart
mcnt much more than they cost it.
We say, then, that postage should be
graduated according to distance which, as
the city newspapers are those which burden
the mails most and to the greatest distance,
would tax them to pay what they cost the
Department. Let the postage of a ncwspa-
per within its county be two cents quarter
within its State, five cents: and beyond
those limits, twenty-five cents and we
: should be much nearer to Justice and equal
lty than now-although a graduation accord
ing to distance would be better. Bat for
country papers, as the transportation gene
rally costs nothing, the charge should be
0cry lows on papers carried in large guam
titles to a great distance-thc papers whose
transportation coStS--the postage should be
according to the cost.
1t seems to US "A duty of the country press,
to itself and to the public, to discuss the
considerations against the notions of the
city gentlemen, who are so earnest TO ac-
commodate themselves. They ask our aid
to make the rates still more unjust than
now; they would have the rate uniform, for
all papers and all distances We protest
against making such IN absurdity part and
parcel Of general movement in favor of
cheap postage.
The question presented in the recent Cir
cular of the Boston Cheap Postage Associ-
alton, Rev. Joshua Lcavi,t, Secretary, y does
not relate to the subject of letter postage
but only 10 that of newspapers The Asso-
citation express wish that all Of us should
be agreed about it. 1t is pretty certain that
we shall not unite upon the views of that
Circular
/. The Circular tells us on the authority
of Mai or llobbie that the total cost of news
paper postage for the year ending June Both,
1918, was 81 ,l5I ,0Dl. We are not told
what items are rcckoned as making up this
amount; we are left TO guess them.
The cost cannot result from any post-oflice
labor bestowed upon newspapers. Ia regard
to those sent TO regular subscribers. (Which
are all but a small fraction OF the whole
the work Of mailing is next TO nothing: there
is no marking or entering on bills, or en-
closing IN wrappers, or reporting to the De-
par.nient, rs is the case with letters. And
so in regard to the delivery. Regular sub
scribers do not pay for each paper singly;
or if they do, the Postmaster keeps no ac-
count OF such payments. His accounts for
regular newspapers delivered are made NJ
quarterly; and for q weekly paper he
makes only one entry instead of thirteen.
1t is believed that the percentage which the
Postmasters receive on newspaper postage
is quite as great in proportion to the labor,
rs that on letter postage.
The expense Of posting newspapers, there
fore, must be charged to baRsp0rfaiion.-
And the great expense Of transportation as
we before remarked, is on the great thor
oughiares, and on papers that 90 considera-
bic distances.
?. The Circular propounds the following
questions
"Out Of what fund should the sum of
81 ,l5i 900, the actual cost to the post office
OF circulating newspapers by mail as stated
above be betrayed Shall it be, as at
present, by a tax upon letters" SC. !
Is it possible that the gentlemen had for
gotten, or that they expected their readers
to forget, what they had said only few
lines before! They had just put down the
receipts from newspaper postage, for the
year ending June 30, 1918, at S767, 334, u
leaving unprovded for only $3.50, 661 out
Of the total cost of newspaper posting; and
anon they throw dust in our eyes by saying
Ia papable untruth that the whole sum Of
81 Isl 900 is now betrayed by ga TAX on
letters" Save us from such dealers in
facts
3. The Circular says that no clear state
ment has ever appeared of the reason of the
rule which taxes papers not sent from the
Office of publication at higher rate. Pos
sibly not; but we apprehend that good rea-
sons are not wanting. One reason is found
i'll the fact that such papers cost more labor
they must be post. marked, and entered, each
by ITSELF Oh the bills, or separate account
of them kept, &c. He that is required to
do this extra work should be paid for it
Again, transient newspapers are far more
troublesome to deliver. And thirdly, the
Department is right in taking measures to
protect itself from the dishonest tricks of
those who would make scraw upon
newspaper answer the purpose Of letter.
The practice becomes less frequent in pro.
portion as the temptation is less--in pro-
portion as the postage of the newspaper APP
proXlmates to that of a letter Thus the
Department acts ia,oiably for morals, while
it saves itself from vast amount of odious
espionage.
4. The Circular again asks, with grave
show of appeal to first principles -
"lr the freedom of opinion and of dis
cussion is essential 10 the preservation of
political liberty, is IT proper for the govern
ment 20 coerce the people TO take certain
newspapers, by compelling them to pay a
discriminating tax upon others :"
That is: To make publisher in New
York (where the author of this Boston CIR
cular resides) pay more for sending twenty
pounds from his office to Ilartaud, Vermont,
than publisher in Windsor must pay for |
sending ten pounds TO the same place, is