Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-15


great deal OF attention. On the part
OF large number OF publishers
ia this and adjoining states, a
great outcfy has gone forth
against the bill, snd memorial to
Congress, protesting agaiust It's pass.
age, is now pending in the q ah Leg =
islsturt; or rather has passed both
branches of that boiy and has been
sent to the Governor
Our Legislature, we are constrained
| to believe, acted hastily and withou 1
due investigation, in thus placing
itself on record. Had the actual pro-
visions anu intended results OF the
Loud bill been fully laid before the
assembly, its action, We ilrmly believe,
would have been precisely the opposite
OF that which was tsken, provided it
mad seen fit to act at all in the prem.
ises.
The existing liberal postal laws Of
The United States have made it easy u
establish certain branohes OF the ub-
fishing business, which are Mt least
aemi-fraudulent In character, extreme
ly buriensome and expensive to the
post office department, and highly in.
furious 70 legitimate publishers. The
Loud bill aims to reform these abuses,
10 relieve the department from euor-
mus expense which 1t is bearing for
the benefit OF Legitimate publications,
and to plotect honest publishers.
l., any publisher whose business Ia
strictly legitimate, who has bona fide
subscription list, and aims to give
value for value to his patrons, will
deliberately weigh the Arguments
opposed to the Loud bill against
those in favor OF II, he will be willing,
In an overwhelming mBjority OF cases,
to sign petition in favor OF the bill
rather than one adverse to 1t; and
petitions on both sides are being vIgor.
ously circulated.
1t 10 true that the Loud bill bears
pretty hard on certain class Of pub.
LEGATIONS, and under Its operations
they would probably be COM
PEELED to suspend; but the public
and postal department would both
be the gamers by their total extinc.
tion. This class consists mainly OF
alleged newspapers or magazines,
usually got up In cheap style,
which subsist entirely on the
advertising patronage thoy &C.
cure. Much of this advertising is
OF kind that respectable publice.
lions will not allow TO appear in their
columns at any price. ana has de.
moralising and often d disastrous I, eel
among tue people.
Remarkable care and a thorough
knowledge of the publishing business
are shown in the preparation OF the
bill, which almost inevitably reaches
the "snide" publisher, and with equ,l
certainty allows tue legitimate one to
go untcathed. The bill Ia strictly In
line with the recommendation OF the
fSoAnNHhSA lSnciuit ANU WSIc IL Iuhut
law, We firmly believe Its effects
would be OF salutary character, and
as Tree from injustice TO legitimate
business as goou law upon the samu
subject could y ell be made.
One feature OF the bill, however, Te
would except from unqualified en-.
dorstment. 1t Is that which requires
the publisher to sort his mail under
the direction OF the local postmaster.
This might or might not prove an ex-
pensive requirement on the publisher,
and is matter that ought to bs well
guarded. But speed in the handling
and dispatch of newspaper mail lie the
object aimed at, ana In general is de-
cidedly In the interest Of the publisher;
and OF the worst. no 10 subscribing his
own welfare when he sorts his own mail.
Without taking pronounced posi-.
ton IS to this provision, we decidedly
favor the maiu features OF the bill.