The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-06
The Proper Thing.

MasgaII was presented to the
T Ionse Today by Finerty, and ie'
erred to the committee on posi- of-
fees: o;otas
D,oss Chicago, February l, 1854
P lie 'S0eakeT of the House Of Rep
rmsce,ltGtioss, Washington, u. g.
SIR: At the annual meeting Oh Tue
nrn ,nr of the Western Associated
proas recently held in Detroit, q
LLnaoIntion was unanim Ously adopted
10 memorialize Congress, setting
fOrth the injustice of the present
rates of newspaper postage, anu es-
neciallv the rate on transient papers.
In view of the present reductlsn IN
-. letter hostage law, the charges
tor Transmission Of transient news.
~, rsners cent for each two ounces
~ WEIGHT, and cent for any trac-
t;on oI an ounce, thus newspapers
exceeding two ounces by weigne OF
wrapper only, are consigned 60 d
box in the postoffice, un'ess tne
stamn thereon is 2 cents. In case
of letters, if the postage happens TO
no insufficient, it is mailed and the
deficiency collected from the re-
ceiyer, and most people suppose
the same thing is done regards
ing newspapers. ami why
should it not be? The smaller
class of newspapers, without
supplement- come within the two
ounce weight, but with them over.
run ii. Nearly all newspapers in
uuarto form, seven columns or more
10 the page, exceed two ounces
weight when in wrappers an are
subject to double postage. Nearly
all daily rapers issue supplements
Saturdays or when advertising is
brisk, and to publish the proceed
ipgs of conventions and important
nnbIic documents. In all these
cases the paper exceeds the Two
ounce limit and subjects che senaef
to double transient rates, ana theSe
are the very copies which the people
are most in the habit of mailing toI
personal friends and business ac>
quaintances, and as general thing
never reach their destination; the
postage being insufficient, the papers
are confscated. The public Ordin.
ariIy only put 1.cent stamp on a
newspaper, surprising that enough,
nut if the issue consists Of dou BILE
sheet and has a 2-cent stamp at
tached, it is still insufficient, and
the paper and stamp are consigned
to the waste paper basket. Millions
of copies are thus lost through the
operation Of the illiberal law ,harshly
executed. Most persons, when
travelling or absent from home,
mail papers to their friends, which
are commonly confscated by The
pOstofiee by reason of their slightly
exceeding the proportion Of weight
to postage. Advertisers are in the
habit of buying extra copies of
newspapers to mail to custom rs,
but the double postal charge
for fractional overweight reduces
the number of such copies and
thus Injuries the publisher as well as
the advertiser. The postage en- a
Transient newspaper weighing the
smallest fraction over two ounces is
more than the majority of publish
els receive for printed sheets, and
tnlS Is felt to be an eXtortionate
charge and a personal grievance,
Wneh the paper is not forwarded to
us destination by reason of error of
augment In not attaching enough
postage, but is confscated without
notice to the sender. Few persons
can tell by "lifting' papers just how
much postage it requires and not
many own postofice scales.
The Western Associated Press
Association are of the unanimous
opinion that the law should he
amended to make the rate on tran
silent papers lie. for four ounces, or
fractional part thereof, which would
cover nearly all the newspaper
issues, including supplements, and
put stop to the loss Of millions of
copies now mailed which are not
forwarded by the postofice depart
nenE, but seized and sold as waste
paper, to the serious damage and
annoyance OF the people.
In his last annual report the Post.
master General, speaking of this
subject, sage: 1.-THE postage on third.
elass matter. embracing ne gspapers.
u cent per two ounces, while some
most Of the large papers weigh
more than two ounces. There seems
20 oe popular impres .ion that I
cent copy is the uniform rate for
al newspapers. Many persons de-
pusit In postofices newspapers
wms.Esning more than two ounces
a VIII l'cent stamp on them. They
S are not entitled to be sent, and per
t naps are not. This creates dissstis.
, rsoon. In order to obviate this, ]
eoommend that the rate on news.
pSpers and periodicals. tent by other
,osa publ shers or news agents be
" % cent per three ounce"
md Inc weight advised by the Pat
hMss!er-general would do much oood
a eas IT the three ounce rate sbs sIJ +.
sS SppS the provision should b.
m