The Evening critic., 1885-01-23
NEWSPAPER RATES.
Distinguished Journalists Petition
ing For a Reduction of Postage.
UNJUST AND UNFAIR LAWS.
Enlightenment and Progress De-
pendent Upon the Unrestricted
Circulation of Newspapers
Throughout the Length
and the Breadth of the
United States.

A distinguished journalistic trio, com
posed of ID. H. Locke, famous for tho satire
and rugged wisdom of his writings as
petroleum V. Nasby," William Penn NiK-
on, nianager.iu.chief of the Chicago Tnier-
Ocean, and Dr. Morrison Mumford, Of the
Kansas City Times, are laboring earnestly
with Congress for Tectihcation OF the
many incongruitics, unjust, oppressive
and inconsistent requirements of the laws
pertaining to newspaper postage rates.
These three representative journalists
constitute committee representing the
newspaper publishers Of the West aud
Northwest and base their arguments upon
memorial Endorsed by the journalists Of
many States calling the attention Of Con-
gress to the inequalities OF the postal laws
bearing on the rate charged for nows-
papers and periodicals aud urging that the
remedy be applied at once. Tho petitioners
assert that the rates of postage on all other
matter have been reduced, while the rate
charged newspaper publishers still remains
unchanged. Considering the relations OF
tho postal service to other matter conveyed
through the mails, the charge against pub
lisbers for conveying newspapers to sub
sciibers is tax, and burdensome one.
Prior to 1874 the subscriber, and not the
publisher, paid the postage upon news
IbpOio SSHb iIUlll tuC .OluNC vi
This method, it was claimed was unsatis-
factory for the very good reasons that
much Of 1t was never collected, and tho
cost of collecting the remainder was too
great. By the law of 1874 it was made the
duty of publishers to prepay all postage on
papers sent from the publication office to
subscribers, as well as to others. What
ever may have been the intention of those
who conceived and accomplished this
Il Al l.. 4. Ia s..,
lent 10 placing a tax for that amount upon
publishers. To them il has proved an on
eIous tax, without adding greatly to the
Government income. The change came at
q time when it was impossible to success
fully advance their rates to subscribers SO
as to cover the outlay for postage. 1t was
attempted in several cases, but proved
failure, and is now charged up as part Of
the expenses Of publication, for which
they get no reciprocal advantage.
Since 1874 letter postage has been largely
| reduced postage ON "transient newspapers
| and periodicals." which includes all such
matter as is sent by any other person than
| publisher, has been reduced one-half, but
| the charge against publishers remains un-
| changed. 1t is thought by many that 1t
would be wise for the Government to send
| all newspapers and legitimate periodicals
through the mails free, but the committee
are not authorized to ask for that. What
the journals they represent desire, is re-
duction of one-half from the present rate,
which would still give the Government
ample compensation.
One of the incOngruities OF the law is
that 1t permits all weekly publications to
| circulate free through the mails in the
county where published. AS the majority
| OF weekly newspapers published have little
or no circulation outside OF the county in
which they are published, the postage on
circulation is paid almost entirely by a
minority of the newspaper publishers
There is no good reason for this distinction
| Under this provision q weekly newspaper
Published in Boston, New York, Philadel-
phia, Chicago, or any OF our large cities
will 60 free through the mail and be deliv-
cred at the subscribers residence by oarri-
ers paid by the Government, without cost
to publisher or subscriber, while on every
paper delivered to subscriber beyond the
the county line the publisher is taxed. 1t
will not be difficult to prove that the ex-
pense to the Government of delivering a
paper within the city or county is as great
or even greater, than the expense of deliy-
ering 1t in some distant State.
The petitioners state, in conclusion, that
newspaper publishers are not mendcants
but they claim to have such relations to
the diffusion of light and knowledge among
the people-which we understand was one
of the objects for which the Postal Depart
ment of the Government was created-ai
gives them right to demand fair hearing
and just treatment Tho incongruity il
the law referred to above would, to
stranger to our institutions, Indicate tina
the Government looked with disfavor oil
all publications circulating beyond tho con
fines of the county in which they are pub
lished. We certainly understand that sucl
is not the case but believe it will be unwis
for Congress to permit such an incon
sstency to remain upon our statute books
We hope you will add nothing to th
burdens of publishers now free, but asl
that you will diminish the burdens O
those for whom We speak,
The Death OF DIR. LtuthIcum.