Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-09

D~~~~'
The manifest perversion of the inten-
ton of Congress, and the consequent
annual loss to the government by adj
mission to the mails at second-class
rates, of printed matter that should be
charged third-class rates, has been call
ed attention to by successive postmast-
ers general, Republican and Democrat
ic. The abuse increases year by year.
and has reached such proportions as to
seriously impede the working OF the
postonice system while adding largely
and unjustifably to it's cost.
The intention of the law was to carry
at nominal rates legitimate newspaper
and periodical publications. The actual
effect has been to load the mails with
trashy novels falsely protesting to be
serial publications" spurious period
icals," fake trade papers" and fraud
ulent issues Of various kinus. AS Sec
ond-class matter this stuff is mailed at
] cent a pound AS third-class matter,
in which are INCLUDED all books and 9TH
er printed matter not legitimately or
by stretched construction of the law
mailable as second-class, the postage
would be cents a pound.
The weight of second-class matter
carried during the year is over 10000
tons. At cent a pound the postage
received on this is 100000. The post
master general under the late admins
tration reported the average cost of car
rying this matter at 8 cents a pound.
There was, therefore, an actual loss to
the department on this class of $21 Co.,
600, or more than one-fifth of the entire
postal revenues. Postmaster General
Bissell said in his report that under
what seems a necessity and inevitable
Interpretation and abuse OF a statute
founded upon enlightened and liberal
ideas an immense and undesirable mass
of additional matter is now admitted
70 the mails and transported at second
class rates, which was never intended
or foreseen, at an expense to the people
which seriously cripples their postal SER
,, vice and lessons their postal facilities"
AS the result of annual suggestions by
partment, without regard to politics, the
House postoffice committee in the last
Congress reported through its chair
, man, Hon. L. l.. Loud. of California, a
postage reform bill," designed 10 put a
stop to this abuse. 1t was passed by
the House in January of the present
year, but was not acted on by the Sem
ate. The Loud bill has been again re-
ported to the House and is now pend
ing.
Opposition to the bill is made on the
pretense that it viii interfere with the
circulation Of newspapers, the dissent
nation of intelligence, and the instruc-
ton Of the people. The newspapers
have spoken for. themselves in the ac-
ton of the American Newspaper Pub
liS4ASlo SASSOtloIIOli, al Vi SSd4iZdtlOu VI
165 leading dailies, which unqualifedly
approved the bill; in the Endorsement
given it by many State press associa-
tons, and in the hearty support given
by the weekly and monthly trade jour-
nails that have legitimate circulation
and influence. The bill will add to the
expenses of newspapers and periodicals
legitimately entitled to second-class
rates by increasing the postage on sam
pie copies from / cent to cents
pound, but they are willing to stand this
additional expense for the purpose OF
reforming what has grown to be gigan-
tic abuse.
The Loud postage reform bill is in the
interest of honesty, decency and econ
omy. 1t. will enable the postoffice to
approach nsRrer self-supporting con-
dition or Ill permit the introduction
LOT beneficial additions to the postal IA
cilities. 1t will be advantageous to all
put : very small fraction OF the people,