The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-24

cur PostI asfer General has decided that whom the
publishers Of magazines or periodicals. have tho s
veitifements into their publications, they shil
he q arged letter postage What right has Putnam
to N nouDce to the world in 1y leaf Of his maya
zire that the Luncombe E9agstafis about to be ,e
funed ly that distinguished poet and critic, X N.
Peri er, Esp Why should Littel Co, have the
lml trtiieDte to priut an advertisement Of tine B1s
ten Fost cr the american Almanac on an extra ielf
Of tie Lining Age, and pocket five d,ilars Tor IT,
without afkng the consent Of the Postmaster Gene
rail- OF course 1t is absurd to think they should be
permitted 10 do II on any conditions! Bat don't
you think there should be severe penalty-say
fire OF thousand dollars and seven or niue
years imprisonment addition to c'nis-
,at'n OF the property that is thus ruth.
lessiy attempted to be scattered the land
thIol gh the nails special act Of Congress, woad
soon bring these fellows that print advertisements
TO their senes. One simple question allow me to
ark. How could any sane man out Of the IN N
li1uisition. ever imagine that the makers OF the
publications could intend that there should be any
distinctions on periodicals that contain advertise
merts and those that do not, except in the one
sent al consideration OF weight Why should not
the publishers Of Harper's and Putnam's Magazine
have the same privilege Of printing advertise
ments and circulating them in the numbers
Of their periodicals just as mnch as you. should
to print them in the NEW YORK HERALDg ! won't
insult your readers by looking at the subject further
We are all concerned in the postal law and its ad
minstntion. aud intend both shall have full notice
You zee the fearful array Of figures in that table
near the head Of this article. Now the rates that
would propose are such as are based on those immu
table principles of justice and convenience that have
made Rowland Hills English system the best In the
world: uniformity Of postage. As for varying
the rates according " distance long tho mails
go oil over country, no man with particle Of
common sense could ever conteud for such course,
the country msy be. Then, on printed matter II
becomes simply determination or distinction based
IN weight aud bulk, or rather on weight. There Is
no reason why there should be q separate rate Of
charge tor every ounce q parcel may weigh, any
mole than there should be for every pennyweight
OF every grain. Express companies charge just the
fame for oil parcels from one ounce up to five or ak
pounds Now, the large volume Of the Census Re
Ia,t weighs eight pounds aud quarter; Webster's
Unabridged Dictionary, six pounds and half
L,fpinctins GaSdstr, six pounds six ounces; Ben
quarter, and ordinary duodecimos from twelve to
eighteen ounces. Now, IL we take books Of all
sizes up TO Fix pounds and half-l04 ounces-with
ere postage for distances less than 1000 miles,
and double that when over 5000 miles, and
in each case hfty per cent additional
when not prepaid-the exact rates according to the
present la~-we shall have 4lg rates Of book post
aee II Jered ideals varied in weight, and went up
to The same size there would be just many rates
or IeriC dca publications. Then If the primers Of
ilete peril ideals had the audacity 70 print two
pages of advertisements in some OF them. there
would lie hall ms many more rates. Then, in the case
OF small newspapers or pamphlets not having more
then sixteen octave pages deducting four times
eight fer tie first eight ounces or thrty-two rates
-theie viii he the same number OF rates again.
Here, then are the various rates on packages OF
pii,ted matter going from one ounce t. six pounds
ind half -
Roes
Bosks beund or unbound. al6
iei,cical publications: ..:............... 4l6
9 with acycr,isements, ......... 20s
small newspapers and pamphlets. .............3 8i
Total rates Of postage Observation-Disclosures. IA
so VIC have only ,424 rates Of postage on printed
natter that is, including books the size Of web
sters Dictionary" But of this am not sure. for
there may be exceptions rulings. or decisions that
will greatly increase this number. Our postal au-
thorties ight. perhaps, tell you that the lag pro-
o.
able matter" But this will hardly relieve them,
for members Of Congress, and government itself,
aend the census volume, and postmasters and clerks
ten ne that nothing in the shape Of book Is re-
without regard to the weight. So thst no one can
deny the l,424 rates Of postage, without declaring
that certain sized psckagcs-less than six and
half and over four po1nds-shall have an EN-.
barge. put on them altogether "Just which
you pIeases, gentlemen; you pays your money. and
You takes your choice i Express compsnies-and
one charge for parcels up to Elk pounds; we. in
our postal concefns-saying nothing Of the discrimi
patton by distance--msks one half Of ,424 rates.
Which Of Mr.. Punch's upennnuated Generals Is
thlsf General Red Tape or General R0utine2
The rates OF postage would propose for printed
matter would be these-and by printed matter
mean everything printed, without any regard to the
subjects, object, or intention:--
PROPOSED POSTAGE RATES.
Monthly periodi
nals taken re1u
7ydnsient ndtter. larry d prepaid
Prepaid Not prepaid. Quarter Fear.
Package not
tuncFs..........2 IL
Package over and
Lot over ou q ~
Ieck