Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-01-31

The bill Of Senator Dixon, in relation to
postal affairs, one feature Of which is to 70.
quire prepayment Of postage upon newspa
pare q the Office Of publication, revives =
measure which has more than once received
the negative Of Congress. The Senate dc
feated such IN innovation by an almost
unanimous vote last winter, which result
was duo in part to the opposition Of Mr.
Collamer, ct that time Chairman OF the Post
O@ce Com nittee, who demonstrated in en-
unanswcrable manner how lar the plan
lacked feasibility The ostensible object Of
the bill now before the Senate is to insure
tho payment Of newspaper postage; but
the real effect, should It become law, will
b. to make tho newspaper est Adjustments Of
The country collectors for the Department,
to require them to increase the number Of
their clerks, and to delay the preparation Of
their editions for the mails. In order to
keep open their pages to the latest moment
for the insertion Of news, proprietors Of daily
newspaper Of largo circulation study to re
ducc the time required to get their issues
ready for tho trains and stages after the
s'Sorms" ara made up. They bring into re-
QUESTION fast presses, stcreotypng, folding
machincs, and every other appliance that
genius can invent. In the early morning.
. few minutes are frequently exceedingly
valuable about = daily newspaper establish
nent, end publishers view with concern
which We now see is unapprcciated in GER
tain quarters, any cause calculated to Oh
struct Or prolong the labor Of that busy
time. The work Of mailing, under the pro.
posed law, would, it is needless to say,
greatly protract the preparation Of the edi
tons, and impose hurry which newspaper
readers would at once discover, and proba-
bly, il the spirit Of complaint.
II we consider the payment of postage
in the light Of . tax upon newspaper pro
prietors, Il can bc said the latter arc suffi-
cisntly burdsned; but Of course were Mr..
DixSn'S bill to pass, the postage would bc
added to the cost Of the paper, rs that
in . pccuniary point the alteration Of the
law is not material, except perhaps in de-
manding an increased clerical force. Our
obiection eoes, therefore, to the effect We
have mentioned, which is Of much great
or consideration. There is no real necessity
for the proposed change. The Departments
loses quito insignificantly in printed mat.
Ter, and We ere convinced that If any re-
form is needed It should apply to the post
eGlccs rather than tho printing offices. At
any rate We should look upon it IS unfair
for nembers Of Congress to pass this meas
ure, for the sake Of economy, without at
the same time, or before, undertaking to
regulate the abuses Of the Thanking priv
leee which add SO much to the expenses Of
the Government with 80 little correspond
ing benefit to the people.
r~o,scsnv. a. ho hs11 nfo~raA IN
ard one, like that We have been considering
framed IN sccordasce with the suggestions
Of the Lac report Of Postmaster General
Deneison, rep;c.sls the existing law requiring
che list Of unoallet fee letters remaining in
ths various Postofices to be pub
lished IN the newspapers hsving
the largest circulation within the rang.
Of the Post Office delivery, and gives the
advertising to such papers % the Depart
neut may designate, without reference to
hoRuRtih2 &C horculaiion. Ne may hero
ssmark that the Post Ofice advertising is
valuable to city newspapers only by reason
ofthe character Of the present law in refer
enHs thereto Y0e space the letter listf6e
cupies can always be more probably filled;
bat a. Its th9 b6Beial redoeditssn u The
s'largest circulation" it is generally &C.
csptsbls to proprietors, the publication be
Ing sought for. moreover, BY large class Of
interssted ssadsrs, and. sheSs6sssl being Of
. ssQi .as,es nature, Now, il Postmaster
00A1fAl DennieoA haa u s1tsstispau6 4,
his own which he was particular to have
reach the largest snoshber Of people, ire
spsesivs # party. he would, unquestionably
ekeoee % insert Tin the papers q tie Vi
dsst eiSeulatio6, DpdciGlH il thers wsse no
difference IN the cost. The same principle,
~ hold, otehb - an1lt ~ Government ad-
vsgtiaine. Whersit 10 desirable to publish
anethias y u, the pub,icaiisa onght TO BE-
uede With The vjsW - ssosh .ths greatest
nuuoss'tf pssth, 81 Mt v throw cspnbe
sfhvor = obesure osucssus whess ealy bad
- & y their aee1 ~ 80
- - = - - 81
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