The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-03
Postage on NeWsDaDerS,


The proposition, which we first saw serious
ly urged by the Peoria Democrat, to abolish
all postage on newspapers and magazines,
finds an able advocate IN Postmaster General
Howe in a recent letter to the Speaker OF the
House of Representatives at Washington The
revenue collected from that class of mail mat
ter during the last year, he says was but ST..
39004S. The cost to the government of abol.
lshing postage on this matter will consequent
ly be about one and half million dollars In
the carriage of the fourth class matter, mer.
chandise, the government has to compete with
all other carriers, and rs consequence its
share of the business Is that which cannot be
sent by other means at a less rate than that
charged by the government. The letter goes
on to say:
The government has but one rate for all dis.
tances, long or short. All other carriers vary
rates according to distance. Sixteen cents per
pound is an eXorbitant charge for the carriage
of goods between Boston and New York But
the government will not carry for less; other
carriers do that business. That rate does not
pay between New York and Arizona conse.
quently the mail is burdcned with everything
which can be sent IN four.pound packages to
such distances. Wherever a profit is to be
made others make 1t; only where a loss is to
be incurred are the mails employed for the
carriage of fourth class matter.
If the public is to be taxed for the transpor.
tation Of either class Of mail matter, unques-
tIonably it should be, not for the fourth class,
but for the second. Intelligence rather than
trade should be iostered by the government.
1t is hardly an extravaganza to say that the
circulation of newspapers and magazines IN
Texas is a benefit to Vermont and vice versa.
This fact is recognized by existing laws. To
spread information among the people the Gov.
eminent not only sends free of postage hun.
dreds of thousands of volumes through the
mails, but actually prints them for free distri-
button. If 1t be said these volumes detail the
transactions of the government, which it Is of
prime Importance to have widely known, that
must be admitted. But II may well be doubt.
ed if the whole people get AS much iniorma.
ton of public affairs from the volumes gratu.
itously thrown at them as they do from news.
papers and magazines which they purchase
and pay for. 1t is also noticeable that such
publications are, under existing laws, distribute
ed through the mails tree of postage within
the county of publication. There does not
seem to be any sound reason why the govern
ment should distribute New York county
newspaper free within the county of New
York, or Boston paper within the county of
Suffolk, and yet charge postage on the same
newspapers when they cross the line OF those
counties. 1t happens not unfrequently that
newspaper or other secondclass matter Is
published in towns which are traversed by the
line dividing two counties. Ii does not seem
reasonable ;" send urI"r> free - Tie >"N,rr'h
ers on ono SIDE al tac IILu aLu 10 enact posi-.
age from those on the other side.
Other considerations might be urged but
the foregoing are the principal ones which
have led me to the conclusion that congress