The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-20
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THE INTELLlGENCER.
WHEELING. JANUARY 20, 1898.
Economy tho Wrong Way.

Economy tho Wrong Way.
4 The curtaimcnt OF free deliveries pro-
posed by the postofIlce department, as q
measure Of economy, Is causing no end
OF criticism and meeting with almost
universal objection. It seems that, II
the desire to do away with the annual
deficiency in the postoftlcc department
Is SO urgent, some way aside from cur
falling the efficiency of the service might
be found; and yet public judgmen.
should be suspended In this matter, as
there Is no doubt that the postmaster
general is prompted by what he con-
scelves 10 be necessity.
In this connection. an evil which has
crept into the postal esrvtcc. and which
increases the cost to the government for
carrying and handling the malls, might
. be eliminated In the interest Of economy,
and perhaps increase the revenues OF the
department. Attention has often been
called TO the abuse OF the privileges OF
the special postage rates provided by the
government for newspapers and periods
Gals. In the interest OF the enlightenment
OF, the people through the cheap circula-
ton OF news and literature. While the
cheap pound rates to publishers were de-
signed by the government for this lauda-
BILE purpose. there are hundreds OF
lake periodicals.. classed under the
head Of second-class matter and admit
ted to the privileges enjoyed by leglti-
mate newspapers and periodicals.
These publications are nothing more
nor less than advertising circulars, made
up in the form OF literary publications
! merely for the purpose OF obtaining
Cheap circulation. AS rule. they have
no bona fde subscription lists although
fanomlnal price per yea. is quoted under
their headings. They are actually print
cd and circulated free Throughout. the
country by the millions, made up seven
ciShths part advertisements all sorts OF
Cheap articles sold by the publishers, and
sone-part the cheapest kind of trashy
reading matter. simply for blind, to en-
title them to the pound rate given to
legitimate newspaper and literary pub
fishers. Some Of these advertising pub
locations boast of as much as million
monthly circulation. not one copy going
to, a bona fide subscriber, and every one
OF which should be required, under
/ strict construction Of the law. to pay one
cent postage.
This evil has. after. repeated COM
plants from legitimate publishers, in
large measure already been done away
with by the rulings OF the department,
butts still to a great extent practiced.
! An application of the postage laws to
Them all might result in either increasing
the revenues OF the postoffice depart
ment. or forcing the fake" publications
out Of existence. thereby relieving the
Transportation facilities OF the govern
ment from useless and expensive bur-
I den.
OF course this one reform. already be-
gun but not yet complete, would no,
make up the deficiency, but It would go 4
little ways toward that end. and would
not deprive the public OF anything the
loss of which would be deeply felt. Ger.
3tainly, at this particular time, when The
demand for Increased mail facilities is
growing. and the amount Of mail is al
/; most unpreccdentedly large by reason
of the generally prosperous state OF busi-
ness, some mcans should be devised that
will avert the proposed curtailmcat of
the delivery system.