The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-20

ter General Smith, himself personally
familiar with all the real necessities OF
the publishing business, estimated that
abuses in second-class mail privilege
are costing the government fully $2O.-
900 900 a year. Their correction would
convert "a $4,000, 900 annual deficit into
an sll,Ooo,O0o surplus or. IL preferred,
make possible, without loss to the gov
eminent. one cent letter postage. The
Loud bill aims to correct some of the
more notorious of these abuses. and it
has been sadly misrepresented by those
who wish the abuses to continue.
Let us see Just what the bill pro-
poses. 1t admits to the second mail
class. which is subject to postage. out
side of county of publication, at the
rate of one cent a pound, all regular
periodical publications issued as FREE
quently as four times year, but de-
bars publications ''purporting to be
issued periodically and to subscribers,
but which are merely books or reprints
of books, whether they be issued com.
plete or in parts, whether they be
bound or unbound, whether they he
sold by subscription or otherwise, or
whether they purport to be premiums
or supplements or parts of regular
newspapers or periodicals" These de-
barred issues must pay the regular
third-class rate. which is four cents q
pound. Unsold periodicals. when re-
turned by dealer to publisher, must
also pay the third-class rate. OF pub
lications admitted to the second class.
| sample copies not to exceed in number
one-half of the regular subscription
| list. and not to exceed 800 copies Of any
one issue, may be mailed at the cent
| a-pound rate: beyond these limits, the
| third olass rate is to prevail.
The detailed conditions upon which
| a publication shall be admitted to the
| second class are carefully defined. as
| follows: First 1t must regularly be
| issued at stated intervals as frequently
| as four times a year, bear a date Of
issue, and be numbered consecutively
| Second. 1t must be issued from q
known office of publication, which shall
be shown by the publication itself
| Third. 1t must he formed of printed
| paper sheets. without board, CLOTH
| leather or other substantial binding
such as distinguish printed books for
| preservation from periodical publica-
tions. Fourth. 1t must be originated
and published for the dissemination Of
Information of public character. or
devoted to literature. the sciences, arts.
or some special industry, and must
| have legitimate list of subscribers
who voluntarily order and pay, or agree
to pay, for the same"
Then follow certain provsOs, name.
| ~: Nothing herein contained shall be
so construed as to admit to the Sec
ond-class rate regular publications. or
any particular issue of any regular
| publication, designed primarily for ad- :
| vertising purposes. or for free circula-
| ton, or for circulation at nominal
rates. All extra numbers of second =
class publications sent by the publish
| ers thereof, acting as the agent Of an
advertiser or purchaser, to addresses
furnished by the latter, shall be SUBJ
ject to pay postage at the rate of one
| cent for every four ounces or fraction
thereof. 1t shall not be permissible to
mail any given article or articles, or
any part of any particular number of
"a newspaper or periodical. segregated
from the rest of the publication, ex-
cept at the thrd-class rate OF post
age"
The remaining sections of the bill are
unimportant. One stipulates that "alI
periodical publications regularly issued
from "A known place of publication at
stated intervals as frequently as four
| times a year. by or under the auspices
of benevolent or fraternal societies
trade unions, or orders organized under
the lodge system, and having a bona
fide membership of not less than one
thousand persons, shall be entitled to
the privilege of second-class mail mat
ter. provided that such matter shall be
originated and published to further the
objects and purposes of such society
or order" Another requires that pub.
fishers and others whose publications
shall be admitted as mail matter OF
the second class under the provision.
of this act shall be required, before
depositing such mail matter in the
postofficc, to separate the same into
United States mail sacks or bundles
by states, cities. towns and counties, as
the postmaster general may direct
This is simply for the convenience OF
the postoffice department in handlins
! this bulky constituent of the mail ser,
vice which last year weighed 352, ,7O3,,
226 pounds and yielded only a cent-a
. pound revenue while it's handling ant
transportation cost the government
nearly Is cents a pound.
It has been objected that this bill
will hurt the newspapers. 1t will d.
nothing OF the kind. 1t will save then
, from unfair competition. 1t has beer
} argued that 1t will hurt the book trade
} It will hurt simply the trashy bool
trade and give good books a bette
} chance A book worth reading is wortl
. paying for 1t has been complaine,
; | that the Loud measure is a scheme I,
save the railroad companies from hav
: ing to accept a reduction Of pay iron
the government for hauling the mails
ment for reducing their pay Will re
main. The righting of one wrong doe
not stop the righting of another
Finally 1t is said that the postal ser
! vice loses money because too man,
worthless government publications ar
sent through the mails free. We sus