The morning news., 1894-11-26

in 1898, more than doubling in six years
"Of course" says Mr. BisselI. mo one
can believe that such an increase Is lcgiti-
mate" and he adds that it is estimated
that during the fiscal year ended june 80,
1S94, out Of about 45l, 600 pounds of mail
matter of all classes carried 299.O00 600, or
nearly two-thirds, went under the second
class rates, leaving net loss to the gov
ernment in its transportation of $l6S73,00O.
This calculation the Postmaster Gen
eral says, applies to transportation alone.
The separate cost of distribution and de-
livery l will not attempt to estimate, but
any one can see that these items of eX-
penaiture would largely swell the loss"
Continuing, he says: Il do not advo-
cate change of rates now upon legiti-
mate newspapers and periodical maga-
zines. My purpose is to urge the with
drawal of low postage rates from the
large class of pretended periodicals that
are now improperly enjoying them; not
only on account of the inherent propriety
of that course, but because ] am almost
hopeless of ever seeing the financial con-
dition of the department properly estab-
lished until such withdrawal is brought
about"
In defining some of the publications shat
secure the benefit of second class rates,
the Postmaster General does not mince
his words. He says; THE most con-
spcuous class of these pretended periodi-
as serial paper-covered books. They are
in no sense serial, however, except in
name, being usually given some such gem
eral designation as the Freside Series
the Detective Library or some other title
of like character. They are nothing but
books, pure and simple, and many of
them very trashy books, at that, each
one distinct in itself the "series" never
being devoted to anything in particular,
having few subscribers, and with no real
subscription price, except a nominal one.
for not one man in a hundred ever dreams
of buying the books except as he would
buy any other book. They, in fact, differ
in no respect from other books, except 10
large extent in the lack of literary merit
and in having always paper covers
ITO call these publications periodicals
although the attorneys of some of the
publishers, l learn, have gravely insisted
upon this claim before committees of
congress-is an utter absurdity They
possess not one of the characteristics pre-
scribed by law for the ascertainment of
second-class matter
1T may be pertinenty asked, why, then.
are they permitted to enjoy second-Class
privileges? The answer to this is that
years ago, in the case of a question
able publication having some Of the fea-
lures Of periodical, the Attorney Cen
eral of the United States gave an opin-
ion, in passing upon it's classification,
which opened the door to the admission
of other publications still more question
able; until, little by litte precedents
We're established under which the entire
class now under consideration was event
ually let in. And the field is still widen
ing.
This state Of things is not merely a
wrong to the government and to the
senders of other classes of mail matter,
which, producing a surplus of reve-
luI s
wrong to the publishers Of other books
and, believe, a sort of debasement Of the
nations literature"
Another class Of publications. which Mr.
Bissell would exclude from the benefits
of second class rates Is what he calls the
House organ" a paper or pamphlet de-
voted mainly to advertising some mercan-
| tile manufacturing or other establish
men;, but purporting to be devoted to
trade, claiming a bona fide list OF sub
scribers, and nominally conforming to
other conditions of the second class Stu
another Objectionable publication is the
Bogus trade paper" consisting of a lot
of advertising circulars with a little worth
less literary matter thrown I'm here and
! there to give the thing the semblance of
| genuineness."
In the liberal privilege accorded in the
! mailing Of sample copies Of second class
matter Mr. Bissell finds an additional
/ abuse. sample copies are transmitted Tree
! through the mails, and he says this prac-
! tice really offers a premium TO worthless
/ advertising sheets, and for this reason he
/ is inclined to think that the publishers Of
/ meritCrious trade papers would be glad
! to have the sample copy privilege totally
| withdrawn.
During the last six years. the postoffice
! department has accepted for entry q ,30i
new publications purporting to be of the
1 second class. According to a prominent
/ newspaper directory the net increase OF
/ newspapers and periodical publications
4 during the same time was 3747 or IS per
4 cent. of the number Of entries. Comment
! ing on these figures the postmaster says:
| Assuming the directorys statement to
] be correct, it appears that about IS per
cent. of the periodicals entered through
the department are ephemeral; that Is to
/ say, after serving the temporary purposes
! of their proprietCrs, the most of them
go out Of existence, perhaps, however,
/ to reappear when occasion shall again
arise. While they apparently complied
/ with statutory requirements sufficiently TO
secure admission to the mails as second
| class matter 1t is reasonable to assume
! that their circulation when In existence
| consisted mainly of sample copies. There
/ is also reason to believe that some Of
them developed into House organs, and
were circulated as much and as long
| as II served the interests of the publishers,
| or until their true character was detected
. by the department"
Mr. Bissel also states that so far the
/ publications Of fraternal scientific. edu-
/ cation trades, professional, literary, and
/ historical organizations admitted 20 the
| privilege Of second-class matter under the
act Of July lG. 1894, are almost wholly OF a
I mere advertising character, and are.
/ therefore, not Of the class to which
any exceptional privilege should be given.
1t Is in the concluding paragraphs on
Z this topic Of second-class matter that
Mr.. Bissell makes a suggestion Of great
interest particularly to publishers and
readers Of legitimate newspapers and pc
rodicals. This Is what he says:
"If it be the policy Of the congress 10
continue the privilege on seeoud-cla8s
rates 10 benevolent or fraternal societies,
then the remedy / would suggest would
De AN amendment Of the law limiting This
rate to them, and 20 legitimate news
papers and legitimate periodicals and mag
aziues.
~ believe that one years experience
under such limitations with The frauds
and abuse checked, would demonstrate
that we have already reached the time
and conditions when an such legitimate
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