The Portland daily press., 1896-02-27
THE SECOND GLASS RATE.
Maine Publishers are Much Interested in
the Matter.

Maine Publishers are Much Interested in
the Matter.
Washington, February a6-Maine pub
fishers of second class mail matter are
making vigorous protest to their mem
bers IN Congress against the passage of
the bill introduced by Mr.. Loud of Cali
fornla. Congressman Dingley has re-
ceived a number of petitions from his
constituents, as has Congressman
M1illken, urging efforts to discourage the
measure, especially in the present form.
1t Ia claimed that its passage would
strike severe blow to certain branches
OF the publishing business in which
Maine Is largely interested, and in which
her citizens have invested millions of
dollars. Among the petitioners are the
large publishing houses of Augusta.
Me-, the firm of ID. II. Knowlton at Far
mlngton, Me-, besides petitions from
private citizens.
The bill in question was introduced by
Mr.. Loud. January 22d, last and after
reference to the committee on post-otfice
ana post roads was reported fayorably
with amendments, February 5th COM
mltted TO the committee of the whole
House. and ordered to be printed. The
title OF the bill shows that it is intended
20 be an amendment to the postal laws
relating to secund class mail matter The
bill provides that mailable matter of the
second class shall embrace ali newspapers
and other periodicals publications which
are issued at stated intervals, and as fire.
qnently OF four times q year, and are
Wl6hln conditions named within the act.
These conditions are in the main as fol
| lows:
1
Nothing in the bill shall be construed
80 as to admit to the second class rate
pupl1catlons purp orting to be issued
periodically and to subscribers but
which are merely books, or reprints Of
books, whether they he issued complete
or in parts, whether they be bound or I'm
bound. whether they be sold by subscrip-
tlon or otherwise, or whether they pur-
port to be premiums or supplements or
paris OF regular newspaper or periodicals.
While there is much more to the bill
the main provisions have been given and
the Objectionable features are in the shut
| ting out of many publications such as
are issued from Maine firms, including
single copies OF newspapers and any
issue of any regular publication designed
primarily for advertising purposes or for
free circulation or for circulation at a
nominal price. The bill provides that all
such matter shall pay postage of one
| cent for every four ounces or faction
thereof instead of one cent pound"
OTHER PROTESTS.
The Yankee Blade Publishing Com
pauy of Brooks, Me-, is one Of the firms
protesting against the bill, the petition
being submitted by Edwin B. Lord who
says that it's enactment into law Won Id
work great hardships to two prominent
Maine industries-the paper manufacture
IL Srt~s III
| that the bill GA the other hand is to the
advantage of the big metropolitan pub
| fishing houses. Mr.. Lord snlicits aid for
preventing the passage of the bill A
| letter has also been submitted to the
same end by Lawyer H, +. MoKeever,
| formerly of Massachusetts but residing at
present in Alma, Me. Mr.. McKeever says
| the bill, if it becomes law, would large
ly incIe ease the cost of books and would
deprive the people of the benefits hereto
fore derived from cheap literature, be-
cause it would more ase the cost of post
age several fold.
| D H Knowlton of Pennington, pub
Usher of the School World, the School
Days and Little People, points to the
plished by tn firm. He says Ihis work
would be seriously interferred with by
| the proposed law. He thinks there may
bs abuses under the present law but on
| the whole he thinks the benefits more
than reoompense these and that it would
not be for the interest OF education to re-
peal the present law. AS proof of his
statements he cites the circulation
through the mails by his firm of such
publication as "Rabb and His Friands'
or "Black Beauty" Now, says the
petition, these books can be furnished to
scholars at small cost and are much
used by teachers for instruction. This
firm, the petition continues, has large
lists of subscribers even outside Of Maine
who enjoy reading the supplementary
publications.
A petition by the firm of S. W. Lane
s. Co., of Augusta, publishers of the
Lane Lists formerly the Allen Lists,
state that while they do not at present
send out serials. they do send out sample
copies. They know of n large number OF
responsible houses that have invested a
large amount in printing plants, the
sums aggregating millions, for the dis
semination of literature. This petition
claims that the proposed bill would be
a blow to labor because it would decrease
elsotrotyping and kindred work, besides
causing a large reduction in the amount
OF paper consumed in the state.
Protests have been forwarded by two
paper firms in Maine. The c. M. Rice
Paper company, Portland refers to the
large amount nf capital invested in pub
fishing enterprises in Maine, and in fact
all over New England. Any change in
the existing postal laws, their petition
claims, would work hardship. The G. H..
Robinson Paper company Of Portland
makes similar protest, mentioning