The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-02
LOUD BILL TAKEN UP.
Measure Relative To Second Class
Mail Matter.
IMPORTANT AMENDMENT PRO
POSED BY ITS AUTHOR.

POSED BY ITS AUTHOR.
Periodicals To Be Allowed To Send Out
Sample Copies to Extent of Ten Per
Ceut of Their Circulation-Senator
Stewart Holds Up Bankruptcy Bill.
Washington, March 1.-The House to
day entered upon the consideration of the
Loud bill relative to second class matter.
The bill is identical with the bill passed
at the last Congress, but Mr.. Loud, It's
author, gave notice of an amendment per-
mitting the transmission at pound rates
of sample copies up to ten per cent on the
bona fide circulation of the newspaper
periodicals. This amendment removes
much opposition to the bill. Only three
speeches were delivered today. Mr.. Loud
made an exhaustive speech in its favor
and claimed that the government praoti-
cally paid subsidy of SAC, 900, 900 to the
proprietors Of publications which now
get access to the mails at pound rates, IS
the cost of transporting mail and its
handling averaged eight cents per pound.
MIR. Moon, Democrat of Tennessee,
spoke in opposition to the bill and Mr.
Perkins, Republican Of Connecticut in
favor of it. The debate will continue un-
| til Thursday, when the vote will be taken
at 4 clock.
| 7
| Dolliver, the father of Representative
Dolliver Of Iowa, delivered the invocation
| in the House today.
| On motion of Mr.. Hill, Republican OF
Connecticut. a bill was passed to autho-
rize the admission free of dutyEa set of
bells presented by the Czar.of Russia to
| the Orthodox Russian Catholic church
of Bridgeport, Conn.
| The House then entered upon the spec
ial order, which set apart today, tomor-
row and Thursday for the consideration
of the Loud bill relating to second class
mail matter.
| The bill is identical with that which
passed tho House about a year ago. II
excludes from classification as second
class mail matter, which pays postage
at the rate of 1 cent per pound, books
and reprints of books printed in serial
forms, 'ssalnple copies'' of newspapers
and periodicals, unbound copies re-
turned from agents and all publications
designed primarily for Advertising p14.
poses. AL such publications, by its
| term would go into the third class which
pays eight cents per pound.
| Second class mail matter by the bill is
restricted to newspapers and periodicals
issued at least four times year from a
known office of publication and publica-
tions issued under the auspices of ben
, evolent or fraternal organization, trades
unions or orders having q mem bership
not less than 1000. All publishers whose
mail matter are required by the bill, de-
posting such mail matter in the post
Office to separate into United States mail
sacks, bundles for states, cities towns
and counties as the postmaster general
may desire. Mr. Loud, chairman of the
post office committee, who had charge OF
| the bill, stated that the committee would
offer an amendment at the proper time
! to allow the transm ission of sample
copies by newspapers and periodicals not
in excess of 10 Per cent of their bona fde
circulation.
| Mr. Hinricbsen, Democrat of Illinois,
presented resolutions adopted by the Illi-
nois Press Association endorsing the hill
with the amendment of which Mr. Lond
had given notice. He read a letter stat.
| ing that the Indiana and Michigan press
associations also endorsed the bill and
Mr.. Loud submitted general argument
in favor of the bill dwelling particularly
upon the west saving the bill would effect
annually. He said that the deficiency
taI CT n
creasing. In 1896 1t was SO, 600, 600; last
year it was $4,000, GOO; this year it would
be million and a half more, all because
it cost the government $43, GOO, 600 to
transmit the second-class mail matter
free which yielded to the government Q
revenue OF but $4,000, 600. He charged
that much of the opposition to this meas
ure had been reused by the publishing
houses of New York and was i'll founded
in fact.
Mr.. Loud displayed to the House q
vast amount of the literature with which
Congress had been flooded by the oppo-
sition to the bill and he produced evidence
that most of it had been inspired direct
ly by publishers who were the benehc1-
aries, Of. what he termed the govern
ment'S bounty"
MIR. Loud was beseiged with questions.
Ee spoke for about two hours.
Mr. Moon, Democrat of Tennessee. fol-
lowed IN OppOsl9ion w bl6 DILL no SoA
ceded that there had been an excess of
seoond-class matter privilege. but he
| contended that In preventing the evil
| this bill destroyed much of the good OF
the existing law.
Mr.. Perkins, Republican OF Iowa, a
newspaper publisher, supported the bill:
He said that the amendment proposed
by Mr.. Loud would remove any objeo--
ton, any legitimate newspaper could
| have to the BILL
Mr.. Kitchen, Democrat OF New York.
attempted to make general political
speech, but was called to order by the
| Speaker, who announced thereafter he
proposed to hold members strictly to the
subject under consideration by the House.
The rule, he said, would be enforced i'm
partially against both sides
Mr.. Mcmillan, Democrat of Tennessee,
said that the enforcement of this rule
might lead to the denial of the right OF
| speech. AS the several committees were
actually all powerful, 1t might be poss1-
BILE if committee declined to report a
measure on question of great pupno
interest no opportunity to discuss that
question would be given in the House.
I VOC