The herald., 1898-03-02
IN THE HOUSE
The Loud Postal Bill Comes Up for
Discussion

WASHINGTON. March 1.-The house to-
dav entered upon consideration of the
Loud bill relating to second-class mail mat
ter. Mr. Loud, it's author, gave notice OF
an amendment permitting the transmls-
sion at pound rates of sample copies UP TO
10 per cent of the bona fide circulation OF
newspaper periodicals. This amendment
removes much opposition to the Dill.
The bill is identical with that whlch
nassed the house about a year ago. 1t eX-
cludes from classification as second-class
mail matter, which pays postage at the
rate of / cent per pound, books ana re-
prints of books printed in serial 1orHi'
s.sample copies" of newspapers or pefioo-
icals, unsold copies returned from agents
and all publications designed for advertise-
ment purposes. Such publications, by It's
terms, would so into the thlro-ciass' " "ii0'
pays cents postage per pound. ~ ,
Second-class mail matter, by the DILL Is
restricted to newspapers and perloolcais
issued at least four times year from ="
known office of publication ana pupiica-
tions issued under the auspices OF peiieNo-
lent or fraternal organizations .iaues
unions or others having membership not
less than 1000. All publishers wnose puo
lications are admitted as second-class iliiiii
matter are required by the bill before de-
positing such mail matter in the post OIL
fee TO separate it into United States mali
sacks or bundles, states. clues 'o"i,' i
counties, as the postmaster general nia.
direct. Loud, chairman of the postoillce
committee, who had charge OF the oiii' -
plained before the debate opened thal lle
committee would offer an amendment at
the nroper time to allow the TRANSMISSION
of sample copies by newspapers ana peri
odicals not in excess of 10 per cent oil thelr
bona fide circulation. He yielded 10 Iflii-
richsen, Democrat. OF ILLINOIS, VINO pre-
sented some resolutions adopted by the In
nos Press association indorslns the Dill.
with the amendment OF which LOUD hau
given notice. He read a letter from Mr.
Day of the National Editorial association,
which declared with the amendment the
bill would work no hardship to the news
papers and met with the approval or the
press associations of Illinois, lndiana ana
Michigan. Loud then took the floor and
submitted a general argument in favor OF
the bill, dwelling particularly upon the
vast saving the bill would effect annually.
The deficiency in the postal revenues was
steadily increasing. In 1896 it was Ss.OoOOUO,
last year it was S12 00O,0 900, this year it will
be a million and a half more-all because
it cost the government $i3OOO,OOO to trans
port the second-class mail matter of the
country, which yielded TO the government
a revenue of but So 000,90O
He charged that much of the opposition
10 InlS measure Ill lllS CouiitlN picSo nav
been reused by the publishing houses of
New York. and was i'll founded in fact.
1t had been charged. Loud said. that this
bill was in the interest of the express COM
panies.
"If We don't get this business said he,
81 don't care who gets it"
Loud displayed to the house a great
amount of the literature with which con-
gress had been flooded by the opposition
to the bill and he produced evidence that
most of it had been inspired directly by
publishers who were the beneficiarieS by
what he termed the governments bounty.
Loud was besieged with questions towards
the close of his remarks. He spoke for
a. 1T two hours.
Noon, Democrat. of Tennessee followed
IN opposition to the bill He declared that
congress should discharge it's duty. not to
the press of the country. but to the people.
He conceded that there had been an abuse
of second-class mail matter privileges. Adj
vertising papers should be excluded from
this privilege. But he contended that in
striking down the evil this bill destroyed
much of the good. If the existing law and
It's construction cost the government $20,-
G09,o00 annually the people were the direct
beneiiciafies.
Perkins, Republican. of Tennessee sup
ported the bill, lie had been inclined as
newspaper publisher. to support the bill
before the amendment proposed by Loud
had been offered Now he felt that this
amendment would remove any objection
any legitimate newspaper could have TO it.
Kitchen. Democrat, of North Carolina
attempted to make a general political
speech. hut was called to order by the
speaker who announced that hereafter he
proposed to hold members strictly to the
subject under consideration by the house.
The rule. he said should be enforced i'm
partially against both sides
McMillin. Democrat. of Tennessee sug-
gested that the enforcement of this rule.
which he considered a departure from the
practice of the house. might lead to a de-
NAL of the right OF speech.
The speaker said that during his twenty
years service in the house he had never
seen any danger OF such Il contingency
Thc debate will continue until Thursday,
when the vote will he taken at o'clock.
At . p. II. the house adjourned
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