The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-01-28
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE,

The committee on postofices and
post roads, in the House of Represen-
tatives. have agreed upon substitute
for the various bills before it with
reference to newspaper postage,
the new bill fixing the rate on news
papers sent to regular subscribers by
publishers and news agents. at one
cent per pound, or half what it is at
present. 1t is presumed that the new
bill will also allow papers to go through
the mails free of postage to any place
within the county of publication.
The manner in which the government
has treated the newspaper publishers
in the matter of postage has been any
thing but fair, considering the lberality
shown to others with respect to post
age. The postage on sealed letters
has been reduced to a nomi-
nal rate, and that ON transient,
papers, periodicals., etc, has
been cut down one-half, but for ten or
twelve years the newspaper rate has re-
NAMED the same. What makes it
worse is the fact that when the law
was changed the postage was made pay
able by the publisher, whereas before it
was collected from the subscriber. The
postage on single paper is trifing
amount, and would not be felt by the
individual, but when those small sums
fall upon the publishers the tax be-
comes burdensome; in many cases, as
with the publishers of country journals,
it consumes about all the profits from
the publication. When the postal tax
was placed upon the publishers they
could not well raise the price of sub
scription; the sum was so small-from
25 to rs cents year on a
copy-the subscribers would have
felt that they were being robbed
had they been asked to contribute it,
yet the reader will readily understand
that five or ten thousand times the sum
would necessarily narrow the profits.
The government could consistently
make second-class matter free, as the
newspapers and periodicals are the best
educational agency in the country, and
besides do more towards maintaining
good and honest government than
Statesmen themselves. Were it not for
the newspapers government would
soon be in sorry plight. No better
investment of a portion of the people
can be made than in carving
newspapers free. The revenue derived
from newspapers at the present rate
$4,000 a year, or about
three per cent. Of the total revenue from
the postal service. The nation could
well afford to surrender that small
sum, especially as the money would be
devoted to SO good cause.
The new bill proposes much relief
from burdensome tax that is imposed
upon comparatively small number of
people; but it does not go far enough.
The postal service of the government is
very nearly self-sustaining; if the income
continue to increase as it has done for
years past with the exception of last
year, when it fell off owing to the re-
duction in the letter rate, the depart
ment will soon bea source of revenue,
a condition of things never contem-
plated by government, and which GER
tainly ought not to exist. 1t is to be
hoped that the present Congress will at
least pass the bill reducing newspaper
postage as proposed, and that in the near
future the tax will be entirely taken off
publishers, who will be able to give the
money back to the people in the form OF
better and cheaper newspapers.