New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-02
4 BILL TO BE AMENDED.

That tho nostal privileges Intended to be se-
cured only to the legitimate newspapers and
periodicals by the "second-class matter" rate
have been abused and made to serve the pur-
roses OF cheap advertising schemes Is not doubt
ed To prevent such abuses is a proper object OF
legislation: and all publishers of bona-fde news
papers and magazines will welcome the passage
by Congress Of an act with that end In view.
But the bill reported from Mr.. LIQUIDS committee.
and now pending in the Senate. is not drawn
with the necessary discrimination between legiti-
mate press mailing facilities which should be
preserved and the egitmate use OF those IA
cillties which is to be stopped.
One of the aims Of this bill Is to prevent the
use of "second-class matter" mall bags for the
transmission OF books or reprints Of books pur-
porting TO be issued as premiums. or supple
'ments, or parts Of regular newspapers or peri
"odicals." In drafting a provision to shut off
misuse Of the second-class rate, the committee
has adopted phraseology so general and un.
qualified that II enacted. the bill would probably
have the effect Of cutting off the second-class
mailing facilities Of a vast multitude of news
papers and magazines all over the country. Ger
tainly It Is not the intention OF Congress. nor
the desire Of the people, that the delivery Of the
daily, weekly or monthly newspapers and peril
odicals shall he thus interfered with.
For example. az read the Loud bill, none OF
the many weekly and Sunday newspapers which
include special literary and illustrated pages as
part Of their regular issues could send them out
at the second-class rate. Moreover. any printed
matter "segregated from the rest of the publica-
ton" would have to pay the third-class rate. II
this bill should become law as 1t stands, we ap-
prehend that Harper & Brothers could not wrap
UP their Weekly" and their Bazaar" in the same
wrapper, and mail them as second-cass matter
to the same subscriber. Each paper would have
to be ''segregate ted" from the other Both are
legitimate publications, and nothing desirable
would be accomplished by obigng the Harper
Brothers to wrap each Of them up separately. 1t
would double the trouble Of the publishers, and
entail extra work postoffce counters and
weghers.
All the leading Sunday newspapers are made
up now In from three to four separate parts for
convenience in printing, folding and wrapping
This form of makeup is an indispensable feature
Of the mechanical economy Of up-to-date Journal
ism. The Loud bill, unless amended, would treat
each OF these three or four parts as Segregated
from the rest of the publication" and therefore
unavailable at the second-class rate. 1t IS clear
ly a case of careless drafting. The Injustice and
uselessness Of such requirement are manifest
The bill should be judiciously amended before II
Is passed; otherwise II will work more abuses
than 1t will cure,
When one considers the underlying motive Of
the bill, one cannot fail to be surprised that its
authors overlooked the enormous expense 20 the
Government of carrying country NEWSPAPERS
and the great masses Of stuff from the public
Printing Office and even from the Agricultural
Department free Of charge 1t is sought 70
make up the deficiency thus created by oppre,s
Ing responsible and established publishers and
the vast army OF newsdealers who sell daily
weekly and monthly newspapers and me- gazines
TO the public at large