Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-12-07
UNITED STATES MAILS.

Strong Recommendation For Revising
Laws Regarding Second Glass Matter.
The report of the postmaster general pre-
sents a comprehensive statement of the
operations of the postoffice department for
the last fiscal year.
The receipts of the department. during
the year amounted to So, OS0;479. OF and the
expenditures to ss4 4,415.1 Is.
The transactions of the postal service
Indicate with barometric certainty the
fluctuations in the business of the country,
lnasmuch, therefore, as business compli.
cations continue to exist throughout the
last year to an unforeseen extent, it is not
surprising that the deficiency of revenue
to meet the expenditures of the postoflice
department., which was estimated in ad.
vance at about $4,000, 900, should be X
ceeded by nearly S1,250,000 dollars.
-" The Deficiency Unnecessary.
The postmaster general states that this
deficiency is unnecessary and might be oh.
waited at once if the law regulating rates
upon mail matter of the second class was
modified. The rate received for the trans
mission of this second class matter is !
cent per pound, while the cost of trans.
mission to the government is eight times
that amount. In the general terms of the
law this rate covers newspapers and peri.
odicals. The extensions of the meaning
OF these terms from time to time have ad.
mitted to the privileges intended for legiti
mate newspapers and periodicals a
Surprising Range of Publications
and created abuses, the cost of which
amount in the aggregate to the deficiency
of the postofice department.. Pretended
newspapers are started by business houses
for the mere purpose of advertising goods,
complying with the law in formalitv and
disseminating the publications as soon as
the period of advertising is over "Sample
copies" of pretended newspapers are is
sued in great numbers for a like purpose
only. The result is a great loss to
The government, besides it's humiliating
use as an agency to aid in carrying out the
scheme of a business house to advertise
its goods by means Of a trick upon both
its rival houses and the regular and legiti-
mate newspapers.
Paper Covered Literature,
consisting mainly of trashy novels, to the
extent of many thousand tons, is sent
through the mails at one cent per pound,
while the publishers of standard works
are required to pay eight times that
amount in sending their publications.
Another abuse consists in the free car
riage through the mails of hundreds of
tons of seed and grain uselessly distribu-
ted through the department of agricul-
ture. The postmaster general predicts
that if the law be so amended as
to eradicate these abuses, not only will
the postof1ice departments show no defic-
iency, but he believes that in the near
FIGURE all legitimate newspapers and
periodical magazines might be properly
transmitted through the mails to their
subscribers free of cost. / invite your
--~-c+ ccAeidareticc of this subject. and
fully indorse che views OF the postmaster
general.
The total number of postoffces in the
United States on the 30th day of June,
1894, was &c, S05, al increase Of 1,O43 over
the preceding year. Of these 1895 were
presidential, an increase in that class of 6s
over the preceding year.
Six hundred and ten cities and towns
are provided with free delivery. Ninety
three other cities and towns entitled to
this service under the law have not been
accorded it on account of insufficient
funds. E