New-York tribune., 1897-01-31
OPPOSING THE LOUD BILL.
ANOTHER HEARING GIVEN BY THE SEN
ATE POSTAL COMMITTEE.
STRONG ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE MEASURE
MADE BY GOVERNOR CLEAvEs EX-sEcRE-
rARy CoLMAN PATRICK rAREEiLY

sTRoNG ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE MEASURE
MADE BY GOVERNOR cLEAvEs. Ex-sEcRE.
rARy coLMAN. PATRICK rARnEiLY
AND OTHERS
Washington, Jan. CA hearing was given this
morning by the Senat4 Committee on Postofnces
and Postroads to persons interested in what has
como to be Known as the Loud bill. recently passed
BY the House Of Representatives, and applying to
the postage on second-ciass mail matter Ten
o'clock was the hour fixed for the hearing but the
only member OF the committee then or for the
next half hour present was Mr.. Chandler. acting
chairman in the absence of Mr.. Wolcott.
Senator Hale not member Of the committee.
said that several men deeply interested in the bill
had come from New-York. Maine and other States
and desired TO be heard. II there
quorum present. Governor Cleaves of Maine he
added, had been selected to present the matter
first.
Senator Chandler said that Senator Hill was i'll
md unable TO attend but that other members OF
the committee would probably present themselves.
H. the mean time Governor Cleaves and others
might make their statements. as they would be
recorded by the stenographer.
Governor C1eaves then addressed the committee.
The act. he said. would affect many Of the inter-
es,s and would withdraw many Of the great privi-
leces enjoyed by the people. The Postof1ice
Department nearer to the people than any
other branch Of the public service. The people
recognized the United States mail part Of the
great Government to which they owed and gave
allegiance They recognized the benefits conferred
upon them. carrying to them since l779 their mail
practically postage frce-carrying 10 them good
hooks good magazines and good newspapers. This
privilege nearly equal in importance to the
common school system. 1t was said. however. that
bad books and bad publications were going through
the mails. exercising a corrupting and debauching
influence the youth Of the country, and that
this should be- stopped. Even IL that werc so.
Congress had the power to correct those abuses
under the present law without revolutionzins the
whole postal system and destroying the whole fab
nc because there were one or two rotten timbers
found in the structure
Governor Cleaves went on to speak OF existing
contracts with newspapers and periodicals which
would be affected by the proposed act. The dis
tributon OF good literature and good newspapers
throughout the country gave to the people advan-
tages which they appreciated and which they
should have. even though the Government might
not make a profit on it's second-class mail. He
said there was no doubt Congress had the power
10 repeal this law at any time. but there were
equitable rights which should be respected he
asked the committee TO make more searching
Investigation OF the matter than II had done yet
The fact had been ignored by the supporters OF
the bill that newspapers created business, created
mall matter created traffic. created letter postage
A liberal construction Of the postal laws, he be-
lieved would meet the approval and commenda-
ton OF the whole American people.
H.. ~.
Co. publishers and propretors Of the Riverside
Presa Cambridge Mass was the next speaker
He continued the argument against the bill which
he began at previous meeting of the committee
So far as subsidies concerned. he declared,
the proposed act would grant subsidies 10 the ex-
press companies. IN some Of his remarks he came
In conflict with Representative Loud. who was
Dresent and who questioned some Of Mr.. Wheelers
statements.
Senator Chandler (handling some paper-covered
books which Mr. Wheeler had produced as Illus
,ratiye Of some OF his points, said: These are un-
oucstionably books; yet you have managed TO get
.hcr through the mails second-class matter
Is that a fair construction Of the law or is IT an
abuse Of the law? And. il either. should 1t not be
corrected by statute?
Mr. Wheeler-These books go through the mails
as second-class matter. not through an abuse OF
the law but through fair construction Of the
law.
Senator Carter-The question Is whether that
constitutes such abuse. such violation OF
sound principles, would require an amendment
OF the law.
Mr. Wheeer-Senator Carter has hit the nail on
the head.
The next speaker was Norman J. Colman Of
Missouri ex-Governor and ex-Commissioner OF
Agriculture. He Is publisher OF nearly ni'y
wears experience having published an agricultural
paper for that length Of time. The proposed la"
would be felt severely in the West. he said Times
were very hard there. From his point OF vie" 'he
nassape of the bill would be a blow to the agri-
cultural press but a still greater blow TO the
farmers OF the country. Everything now was III
favor OF concentration and this bill more so thah
any other law he knew Of. 1t was monopoistic
hill which would enable the big hsh TO eat up
the little ones: and Congress could not anoro 10
let that be done. His principal point was to the
effect that the sample copy" privilege must De
The next argument against the bill was made by
Patrick Farrely. of New-York. representing ,ne
American News Company. and was conlnnauoHS n,n nS
The Committee. In the course OF his remarks ne
said that dealers all over the country naa aHSca
~ The same rate of postage regular subscribers
did This the theory that they were n ,,et pJe
on his 6rst Amendment, striking out the words
"or when sent from A news agency or S 10 S'n.n an
news agents and he also suggested such an an
amendment OF the bill would allow newsdeaiers
the return privilege on unsold copies
SOME ARGUMENTS FOR THE BILL
Finley Acker Of Philadelphia chairman OF the
Postal Committee Of the National Board OF Iraoa'
presented resolutions Of that organization IN iaVor
OF the Loud bill He expressed the DeieI ina. i"e
two-cent letter postage would long ago nave oeeh
reduced to one cent but for the enormous losses
directly tracaable to the abuses of second-cass mat
Ter II the loss on the transportation OF second
css. matter last year s2 900 900 and the loss on
hsrfns esr was wsuS BE- neany sne o and the sg
gregate loss in the next twenty years would be
This Statement was questioned ard contradicted
by r A. Vernon. OF a firm Of paper manufacturers
Nj Acker said that the abuses In regard to sec
ond-cass mail II after should be Topped on ana me me
losses reduced 10 minimum RE pesveu nn Una, sas se
ures In its favor were the President, the POST
master-eneral the majority OF the House OF Repre-
psrers OF the country commercial organzat ations Of
every kind. and the great mass OF the people a..
Replying to questions. Mr.. Acker said that the