The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-04-12
REFORM IN NAIL CLASSIFICATION.

a subject in which merchants and many
other people are interested is the consoli-
datlon OF third and fourth class matter
under the rates heretofore applied to third
class only. The bill has been favorably
reported by the Senate postoffice commit
tee, it ought to pass.
Fourth-class mail matter comprises every
kind OF merchandise except books, pamph-
lets and engravings. BY the proposed
simplifcation the postage on the present
fourth-class matter would be reduced to
cent for two ounces, but would result in
no serioss loss to the government as the
revenues would be almost if not quite as
large under the new system as the old. So,
at least thinks Postmaster General WANA-
MAKER In his last annual report in which it
is shown that out of over $500, 100000
pieces of paid matter carried in the mails for
a year, only 37,000,000, or little over per
cent. were fourth-cIass matter.
Another proposed reform was suggested
by the recent convention of postmasters at
Washington called for the purpose of look
ing into the needs of the postal service
The report submitted by the committee to
whom was referred the matter of preparing
resolutions covering the question of second
class matter, favored the passage of law
relative to the circulation in the mails Of
the class Of matter embodying the follow
ing propositions: ~ A list of subscribers
to newspaper or periodical shall in no
case be less than 100 to be regarded as bona
fide. ~ All samples of newspapers and
periodicals to be entitled to mailing as such
under the second-class rate of postage shall
be marked sample copy" OF the wrapper
in every case, and be wrapped singly. (3)
Subscriptions to a newspaper or periodical
shall not be regarded ss legitimate, when
they are paid for by advertisers in it, Ill
rectly or indirectly, and sent to parties
designated by them, or by persons who
are interested in the circulation of
some particular article or articles
therein. Copies mailed under such cir
cumstances should be regarded as in the
interest of the purchasers, and should be
charged at the rate of cent for every four
ounces. az Subscriptions to be bona fide
should not cover less period in any case
than three months for weeklies, semi
weeklies and tri-weeklies; six months for
monthlies, semi-monthlies and bi-month-
lies, and one year for quarterlies.
The committee also favored the bill rele-
eating psper-covered books to tho third
class. This is a most meritorious measure.
The government is carrying an immense
amount of pripte stuff at pound rates,
that is to say at l cent per pound, that
should pay the higher rates provided in the
postal laws. The so-called libraries of
cheap and trashy iterature-the yellow
back variety-are all transmitted through
the mail at these low rates. This is bur-
den which increases the deficit of the de-
partment and obstructs the way to better
service and lower rates in general.
Yet another proposed change is in rela-
ton to the law for the free transmission of
single copies of second-class mail matter
10 subscribers residing in the county of
publication by extending the provisions of
the act to subscribers receiving such mail
matter at any Office in the county. Under
the law as it stands, publication may be
mailed where published, carried to the
other end of the county and be
delivered by the carrier, If the carrier
system prevails there, at 1 cent per pound :;
but in the place of publication it Is nee
essay to pay cent for four ounces or less
and cents for heavier weight for delivery
by carrier. This amounts to q discrimina-
ton in delivery to subscribers in favor of
those living at distance.
But the most important of the proposed
reforms is the one that relates to the per-
mission of the eastern publishers TO trans
nit their literature under the pound rates.
These books are as much merchandise as
the samples or small bundles sent by post
to customers of business houses, and ought
TO be made to pay postage at the same
rates. The circumstance of respectable
book publishers availing themselves of the
pound-rate provision does not relieve the
business from being manifest evasion Of
the law, and it ought to be put stop to
Immediately.