The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-03-02
A Vote 10 Be Taken on the Measure at q
O'Clock Tomorrow.
Sneaker Reed Calls to Order
Member Who Attempts to Make
Political Speech, Announcing
That Hereafter He Proposes to
Hold Members Strictly to the
Subject Under Consideration.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 1.-The House
to-day entered upon consideration OF
the Loud bill relating TO secOnd-clasS
mail matter. The bill is Identical TO one
passed by the last Congress, but Loud,
its author, gave notice of an amend
ment permitting the TRANSMISSION at
pound rates of sample copies up 10 ~
per cent. of the bona-fde circulation OF
the newspaper periodicals. This amend
ment removes much opposition TO the
bill. Only three speeches were dellv-
cred to-day. Loud made an exhaus-
tive speech in its favor, claiming that
the Government practically paid 4
subsidy of S40000000 to the proprie-
1ors Of publications which now got &C
cess to the mails at pound rates. as the
cost Of transporting mails and its han
ding averaged eight cents per pound
Moon CD of Tennessee spoke in oppo-
sition TO the bill, and Perkins (R) of
Iowa in favor of it. The debate VIII
continue tomorrow and Thursday,
when the vote will be taken al o'clock
Rev. j. S Dolliver, the father of
Representative Dolliver of Iowa, deliv-
cred the invocation at the opening of
the House to-day.
The House then entered upon the
SPECIAL order, which set apart to-day,
Tomorrow and Thursday for the con-
sideration of the Loud bill, relating 10
second-class mail matter. 1t excludes
from classification as secOnd-class mail
matter, which pays postage at the rate
of one cent per pound, books and re-
prints of books printed in serial form,
sample copies of newspapers or pc
Tiodicals, unsold copies returned from
agents, and all publications designed
for advertisement purposes. Such
publications, by its terms, would go
into the third class, which pays eight
cents per pound. Second-cIass mail
matter by the bill is restricted to news
papers and periodicals issued at least
four times a year from a known office
of publication. and publications issued
under the auspices of benevolent or
fraterral organizations. trades unions
or others having a membership not less
than 1000 All publishers whose pub
locations are admitted as second-cIass
mail matter are required by the bill
before Gepositing such mail matter in
the Postoffice to separate into United
States mail sacks or bundles States,
cities. towns and counties, as the POST
master-General may direct.
Loud, Chairman of the Postofice
Committee. who had charge of the
bill explained before the debate opened
that the committee would offer an
amendment at the proper time to allow
the transmission of sample copies by
newspapers and periodicals not in ex-
cess Of 10 per cent. of their bona-fide
circulation.
He yielded before taking the floor TO
Hendrickson tD) of Illinois, who pre-
scented some resolutions adopted by the
Consolidated Illinois Press Association
, Endorsing the bill, with the amendment
of which Loud had given notice He
read = letter from Day Of the National
Editorial Associa alton, which declared
that with this amendment the bill would
work no hardship to the newspapers
mad met with the approval of the press
associations of Illinois, Indiana and
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
S9O0O,000, last year it was SD ,000 900
this year is would be a million and a
half more-all because it cost the Gov
eminent S43, 100000 to transport the
second-cass mail matter of the coun-
try, which yielded to the Government a
revenue of but 50 100000 He charged
that much of the opposition to this
measure in the country press had been
aroused by the publishing houses of
New York. and was ill-founded in fact
1t had been charged Loud said. that
This bin was in the interest of the ex-
press companies. If we don't get this
business" said he. Il don't care who
gets it."
Loud displayed to the House a great
amount Of the literature with which
Congress had been flooded by the oppo-
sition to the bill, and he produced evil
dence that most of it had been inspired
directly by publishers who were the ben
eficiary of what he termed the Gov
ernment's bounty
Loud was besieged with questions to-
ward the close of his remarks. He spoke
for about two hours.
Moon Cd Of Tennessee followed in op-
position TO the bill. He declared that
the Congress should discharge it's duty,
rot TO the press of the country. but to
the people. He conceded that there had
been abuse of second-class mail matter
privilege. Advertising papers should be
excluded from this privilege. But he
contended that in striking down the evil
this bill destroyed much of the good II
the existing law and its construction
cost the Government S20.00000O anu