The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-09
A FRAUD EXPLODED.

we note mat the Assistant Attorney
General has given public exposition Of
fraud that has maintained queer
existence for a long time. The fraud is
based on the, idea that quite generally
maintains, but is incorrect just the
same, that persons receiving newspa-
pers, magazines or periodicals Of any ma
ture, for which they have not subscribed,
are liable for the amount of the price
Of the same for such time as they may
permit the periodical to come into their
houses.
This is prevailing impression. Sup
pose you subscribe for IA paper for one
year. AT the expiration of your sub
scription, the publishers continue to send
you the paper. After while
you get bill. The prevailing
impression is that you are bound to pay
the bill even though you did not ask to
have the newspaper sent you after the
expiration of your subscription.
While many reputable newspapers
keep subscribers on their lists
after their subscriptions have ex-
pired, notification is usually given and
the paper is then continued simply as an
accommodation TO the subscriber that
his favorite paper may not be lost to him
simply because he has'no kept track of
the date of his subscription and so al
lows 1T to lapse. But no reputable news
paper would attempt to collect for a
service thus given without proper
instructions, nor would it be
continued beyond reasonable
time. A certain class of papers exist,
however, whose publishers take advan-
tage of this prevailing impression re-
garding the obligation involved, to force
their paper unsolicited. When the bill
is sent it is usually paid with only
mild protest, and the publisher is in
structed to stop sending his publication
or the unwilling subscriber orders the
local postoffice authorities not to deliver
il.
Indeed there are some periodicals
which are supported mainly by this
scheme of working the public. A cheap
magazine is started and subscriptions
for six months perhaps, are solicited,
the price being so low that the subscrip-
tions are not hard to get AT the end Of
the six months the publisher continues
to send the regular issue 10 his subscrib-
eTs and after year. or maybe two years,
he sends out bis bill for the unpaid sub
scriptions. OF course the subscriber
writes back that he only subscribed for
the first months and claims that it is
not his fault if the publisher has kept on
sending his paper to him. Whereupon
he is informed that the law holds him
responsible for the unpaid subscription,
inasmuch as he failed to notify the pub
Usher to stop sending the paper. If he
continues to protest a circular from an
ostensible law firm is sent him threat
ening suit, and, by this, unless he is a
fighter or seeks legal advice, he settles
to avoid further trouble. This kind of
fraud has been practised a good deal OF
late years.
Now this supposable law, binding sub
scribers to pay for periodicals after their
subscription has expired, unless they
shall give explicit notice to discontinue,
is no law at all. 1t never was
law. Nor are there any decisions of
court TO that effect. How it became so
deep-seated an impression is mystery.
But the postofiice department proposes to
put a stop to the blackmail practised by
reason of the delusion by prosecuting
any publisher who makes a demand for
payment, accompanied by threat and
the citing Of any pretended law, for at
tempting to obtain money under false
pretences.