Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02
PAPER POSTAGE.
Mr.. Joseph MedtII Makes a Strong
Argument Before the Senate
Committee for a Reduction.
He Thought It was Impolitic in n Liberal
Government to Seek to Derive .
Revenue from the Transports
ton of Intelligence.
THE ARGUMENT.

President of the Western Associated Press,
made m argument yesterday before the
| Senate Committee on Postot1ices and Post
roads, in favor of a reduction of the present
pound rates of papers issued from the office
Of publication. The present law was, he
said, the occasion of laying an oppressive
tax upon publishers. It was enacted in 1874,
and fixed the rate of postage on papers
issued from the office of publication at two
cents per pound, which rate it made pre-
payable at the office of publication. Before
the enactment of this law postage on this
class of mail matter was collected at the
office of delivery from the subscriber, the
news agent, or whoever received papers,
the tax falling upon the purchaser, as it
ought. But it was said that a great many
papers were not taken out of the postoffice,
and in order to stop this loss of revenue the
law requiring prepayment was enacted. The
result has been that the publishers of the
United States have been compelled to pay
this tax, amounting to about 1 800, 900 per
annum, during the past ten years. In the
case Of hundreds of newspapers, daily
newspaper and some weeklies, that do not
make any profits, the publishers have, as a
matter of fact, TO borrow money to pay
that postage. The postage at present rates
amounts on a single newspaper the size Of
the New York Herald, Times or Tribune,
Chicago Tribune, or any seven column
paper, to 81 or SLIGO per year, accord.
ing to the number of supplements that
may be issued. 1t is taken out of
the pocket of the publisher, and in a
majority of the cases represents all the
profit a paper makes. 1t is also a very
sever tax on agricultural and religious
newspapers. Mr.. Medill said that when
this law was passed it was also enacted that
country weeklies should be allowed to
travel through the mails free of postage
within the county i'll which they are pub.
lished. This law was unfair. 1t helped
and in large counties like Lancaster, in
Pennsylvania, and st. Lawrence, in
New York, but did not benefit a
newspaper printed in the corners of
counties or margins of counties, a large
proportion of whose circulation is in coun-
ties other than that in which they are pub
lished.
He said the press generally did not think
it fair that, in order to make up the
deficiency caused by carrying Government
matter free, and country papers free in the
county Of publication, they should be COM
PEELED to bear the burden of the present
rate, especially when the Government is in
receipt Of millions of surplus revenues
which are such a trouble to Congress.
Neither did they think the Postofice
Department would lose much revenue
by a proposed reduction of the rates to one
cent per pound. He pointed out that at
present the express companies carried the
bulk of this class of mail matter for short
distances-two or three hundred miles-be.
Il they carried it a shade cheaper than
the Government. The Government, he said,
was doing the lean part of the business-the
long distance hauling-while the express
business. II the rates charged by
the Government were cut to
one dollar per hundred pounds,
he thought that pretty nearly ali
the newspapers would be carried in the
mails. If they were not, it would be be.
cause the express companies reduced their
rates. If the reduction asked for was
made it would benefit all the newspapers of
the country. All sorts of newspapers and
magazines would get relief. The press. of
the country would be saved one-half
their heaviest items of taxation.
He said it was impolitic in a lib
eral Government to seek to derive a
revenue from the transportation of in
t%elligence; that a tax on knowledge is
not a good source of revenue for the sup
port of the Government, and that ii is only
despotic Governments that resort to that
sort of thing, and then really for the sup
preston of intelligence and the dissemina-
ton Of news.
He also argued that a general dissent
nation of newspapers among the people
resulted in a great increase in the mum
Der of letters carried in the mails, and
on these the Government gets two
profit. These were letters sent with
subscriptions, letters making various in
Inquiries, correspondence with newspaper
offices, answers to advertisements appear
ing in newspapers, etc. He was satisfied.
he said chat anything that increases the
circulation of newspapers multiplies letter
postage to the extent that more than makes
good the loss the Government would incur
from carrying newspapers cheaply.
The press Of the United States is, he said,
unanimous in the hope and desire that the
bill he advocated will pass, and if Senators
have any regard for the good wishes of the
press, there is no bill they can pass for
which they would get as sincere thanks
from the press. He also said that Congress
having reduced letter postage thirty
three per cent, causing a reduction
in the revenue of about SIS, 600, 900 per year,
and the loss of revenue in the first instance
having been made good by the increase in
the number of letters, he thought newspa-
per publishers having borne a heavy burden
for ten years were entitled to some relief,
The result of the reduction of letter post
age would, he thought, be repeated in the
case OF the reduction in newspaper postage.
MIR. Hesing, of the Chicago Staats-zei-
tang, followed MI. Medill. He said the
people i'll Germany, as a rule, used very few
newspapers. What they did read were
usually official papers and small affairs.
When they came to this country they had
to be educated to read wspap He
found it a fact that people who did not
read papers made little use of the mails.
If postage were reduced it would materially
help the smaller papers which are now
barely able to struggle along.
Mexican Merchants Close Their
Stores.
CITY OF MEXICO, April S.-Yesterday tho
stamp tax on wines, liquors, canned and