The morning times., 1896-12-16
DEBATED POUND POSTAGE
House Renews the Effort to
Change the Present Law.
QUIGG LED THE OPPOSITION
Mr.. Loud Declares That sample
Copies and serial Publications
Are Running the Country in Debt.
The senate Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad Bill Passed.

The House yesterday passed the Senate
bill to Gefine the rights and privileges of
purchasers of the Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad property under foreclosure. Mr..
McRae's substitute was defeated, but an
amendment by Mr.. Cooke of Illinois, requir-
ing the purchasers to relinquisn all claims
10 the company S unearned land grant, was
carried.
The bill TO exclude from the advantage
of the pound rate OF postage all sample
copies of newspapers and serial publica-
tions was taken up In committee or the
whole upon motion OF Mr.. Loud, but there
was stubborn opposition 10 its condd-
Grafton led by Mr.. Qulgg.
After the House had agreed 10 discuss
the bill in committee Mr. Quigg called FOR
the reading Of the report, but instead Mrr
Loud addressed the House at length IN
advocacy of the measure. Almost IN mis-
opening sentence he said The bill was
the most important that would come be-
fore the House at this session.
That is true, doubtless said Mr..
Quigg. 81 appreciate its Importance. There
fore will the gentleman allow the House
to hear the report
POUND RATE ABUSED.
Mr.. Loud begged To be allowed to con-
time his address in his own way. He
read from the reports OF Posimasters Gen
STdl N!lSOH anu ~ biDh littU
the ruling of Attorney General Deyens
in 1879 had led to the use OF the mails
| at pound rates for very large quantities of
mail that had no legitimate right to the
advantage.
M Wanamaker had found the total TO
| be 10000 tons year. When asked
| where TINS report could be found MIR.
Loud said the part he read was in lhe
committees report. He was asked where
| n copy of that docume mt could be had and
| he laid Il bundle on the desk beside him
a page started to distribute them, but
| before ne could reacn MI. Loud's desk
more than Il dozen members were ahead
| Of him. There We're only half dozen
| copies LEFT for him to hand TO members
! who kept their seats.
There WAS considerable chalGing in re
marks aside upon Mr.. Loud's having a
corner upon the copies OF the report 1ni
| of the hin also as q number Of the latter
were distributed Finally Mr.. Willis asked
| how it had happened that none were 10 be
| had elsewhere, and Mr.. Loud said about
ten thousand had been printed. Those he
! had were committee copies.
! He explained in answer to question by
| Mr Ein-!atu tH.t the Cus5 Oi handling the
| 10000 tons of matter improperly sent
| under the pound rate was $4,000 600 d
| year. while the postage was 81 100000
IIs estimated that in the past ten years
| the government had lost $40 ,OOO 600
| hy this law. The sum would more than
make up the annually recurring deficit III
! the POstoffice Department.
SOURCE OF OPP 0SITIoN.
| A fight would be made, he said, to de
| feat the bill or amend it on the grounC
that I he distributionofS Shakespeare 5 work
| nd other classic literature was an import
ant educational factor He asked what
| the House would think OF the proposal To
! spend $24o 900 900 for education in tn,
| present condition of the country's finances
| and that, too, without leaving the govern
| ment any control over the methods by
which il should Toe laid out.
Mr.. Loud took up the matter of sample
| copies and said i { was the metho OIL in which
| inegitimate newspapers, which were meri
| advertising sheets, were Supported.
| They publish adyertisementsds asking any
body q send a two-cent stamp and leari
| something 10 his advantage. send the two
| cents and you become II subscriber 20 th'
! paper
lie tCld of the experience of a st. Ioui
advertiser who did business all over tn
| country one year and the next was un
able to stop the influx of papers, He con
| tinued to receive at out Il hundred pound
day Of papers of this class.
He held up a Maine paper which he saiC
claimed a million and a half its circula
ton, yet he was sure ROT eight member
had ever heard Of it. The copy had beer
sent him by an advertising firm with thre
Others of the same edition, all sent to tn
same address by the same mail.
With fifteen minutes time reserved, Mi
Loud closed. the committee rose and tn
House adjourned.