Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-04-18

Joseph Msdnl. q the Chicago Txah~nsb
Makes an Argument Before the GonAee
Committee In Favor 81 Chaap UewW4r
par Postage.
WASHINGTON. April s.-Joseph MediII,
sditor Of the Chicago Trbsne made IN a.
ynment before the Senate Committee on
Post-of1ccs and Postroads in favor Of 10
iuction Of the present pound rates Of postage
n newspapers issued from the oflce of
publication. The present law was, he sid.
IN occasion Of laying oppressive tax upon
publishers. 1t was enacted In 1874 and liked
Inc rate Of postage on papers Issued fzom
shS Office OF publication ut two cent? per
pound, Shich rate &c made prepoy1h1t q tho
office OF pub icati0n- Before 10 euGclncnt
Of this law the postage Of this Glass o.
mail matter was Collected 81 The once
Of delivery, from &c subecribczs tho
news agent or whoever received ne papers,
the tax falling on the pnrchasG<s - . ought
But II was said that great mexry Of the
papers were not taken out Of The postrofZice,
and hi order "a. stop this less Of revenue
law requiring prepayment was enacfsd
The result has been that the publishers OF
pay this tax, amounting 10 about 81 .500, 900
pet annum during the past ten years. In
the cases Of hundreds Of newspapers, daily
newspapers and some weeklies, that do not
make any profits, tie publishers have, as .
matter of fact, to borrow money to pay that
postage. The postage, at present rates,
amounts on q single newspaper the size OF
the New York Herald, Tis7es or Tribune,
Chicago Tribune, or any seveTl-column
paper, to 81 or LEO per year, according to
the number OF supplements that may be rs
sued. 1t is taken out of the pockets OK
the publisher and In a majority Of cases
represents all the profit q paper
makes. 1t Is also very severe tax on
agricultural and religious newspapers. ME-
-Medill said when this law was passed, Ii was
also enacted that country papers should be
allowed travel through the mails free OF
postage, within the county in which they
are published. This law was unfair. II
helped newspapers published i'm the county
seats in large counties like Lancaster, in
Pennsylvania, and st. Lawrence in New
York, but did not benefit the newspapers
printed in corners of counties, or margins OF
counties, o large portion of whose circula-
ton is In counties other than that in which
thew are published. He said the press gen.
orally did not think it fair that in order to
make up the deficiency caused by carrying
Government matter free aud country papers
free In the county of publication, they
should be compelled to bear the burden Of
the present rate, especially when the Gov
eminent Is in receipt Of millions OF surplus
revenues, which are such trouble to Con-
gress. Neither did they think the Post-of5ce
Department would lose much revenue by
the proposed reduction of rates to one cent
q pound. He pointed out that at present
tile express companies carried the bulk Of
| this class Of matter for short distance Of
IN on ~..tu. -s.~<I
shade cheaper than the Government. The
Government, he said, was doing the lear
part of the business-the long distanct
hauling-while the express company had tht
fat part of the business. IL the rates charged
by the Government were cut down to 81 pei
100 pounds he thought pretty nearly all the
newspapers would be carried in the mails