The Red Cloud chief., 1884-04-18
IBOUT NEWSPAPER POSTAGE

Joseph Msdnl. Of the Chicago Tribune.
| Makes an Argument Before the Senate
Committee In Favor of Cheap Eewspa-
per Postage.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-Joseph Medill.
| EDITOR Of the Chicago Tribune made IN ar
Eument before the Senate Committee on
POst-ofices and POst-roads in favor of a re-
auctiOn of the present pound rates OF postage
On newspapers issued from the office Of
publication. The present law was, he said
an occasion of laying oppressive tax upon
publishers. 1t was enacted in 1874 and fixed
the rate of postage ON papers issued from
| The office of publication at two cents per
pOand. WHICH rate 1t made prepayable at the
office of publication. Before the enactment
of this law the postage of this class of
mail matter was collected at the office
of delivery, from the subscriber, the
newS agent or whoever received the papers,
the tax falling on the purchaser, as it ought.
Blu it was said that 4 great many OF the
papers Were not taken cut of the p~OSt-Otfice,
and in order TO stop this loss of revenue, a
law requiring prepayment was enacted.
The result has been that the publishers OF
the United States have been compelled to
ply tilLS ttA, diilOtItliIS W oDDuJ @l,DOU,OOV
per mum during the past ten years. In
the eases of hundreds of newspapers, daily
newspapers and some weeklies, that do not
make any profits, the publishers have, as a
matter of fact, to borrow money to pay hat
postage. The postage. at present rates.
amounts on a single newspaper the size of
the New York Herald, Times OF Tribune,
Chicago Tribune, or any S~even-cOlumn
paper, to 81 OF f.G0 per year, according TO
the lumber of supplements that may be IS
sued. Ii Is taken out of the pockets OF
the publisher and in Il majority OF cases
represents all the profit a paper
makes. 1t is also a very severe tax on
agricultural and religious newspapers. Mr..
Melill said when this law was passed. it 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. IL
helped newspapers published in 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, a large portion of whose circula-
ton is in counties other than that in which
they are published. He said the press gen
orally did not think it fair that in order to
mum UP tAt III W. ~ NaliN lis /
Government matter free and country papers
free in the county of publication, they
should be compelled to bear the burden Of
the present rate, especially when the Gov
is in receipt of millions of surplus
revenues. which are such a trouble to Con-
gress. Neither did they think the Post-ofice
Department would lose much revenue by
the proposed reduction of rates to one cent
a pound. He pointed out that at present
the express companies carried the bulk OF
this class of matter for a short distance of
200 or 800 miles because they carried it a
shade cheaper than the Government. The
ne said, was doing the lean
part OF the busineSs-the long distance
hauling-while the express company had the
fat part Of the business. If the rates charged
by the Government were cut down to 81 per
100 pounds he thought pretty nearly all the
newspapers would be carried in the mails.