The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-03-21
The Second Class Mail Abuses.


Provided the Loud Bill, changing
the postal laws relating to second
class matter, is so amended as to
protect the sample copy privileges
of the country press and the pnblica-
tons of educational institutions it
ought to pass. The evil at which
it aims costs the people of the
United States about 500. 100000 a
year, with no returns except to a
few private interests. The principle
upon which the bill is based is cor
rect. AS it was reported from the
committee however, it allowed no
publication to send out more than
500 sample copies and contained
provisions which would have mllitat-
ed against the circulation of the
irregular but highly valuable publ
cation of educational institutions.
The first defect, which many country
newspapers are opposed to, it is hop
ed to eliminate by permitting the
sample copy to publications of bona
fide circulation. With these
changes and one or two others of a
minor character not affecting the
principle of the bill or thwarting it's
aim the measure would undoubtedly
be acceptable to the publishers of
every bona fde periodical in the
country.
The extent of the abuses to which
the second class mail privilege has
been subjected is hardly appreciated.
The rare of one cent pound on this
class of matter, which was intended
20 encourage the dissemination Of
knowledge and information in the
form of newspapers and magazines,
has been used ov all sorts of persons
for free distribution of all sol is of
printed matter. Not only are there
houses that make a business Of
printing cheap and trashy. paper
books in the form of periodical
consecutively numbered, but there
are many concerns that issue adver-
Using sheets that contain no reading
matter except a few paragraphs
here and there of uncertain age and
no possible value. This latter evil
is aided by the sample copy privilege
Intended only for legitimate publica-
tions.
While no blame can be attached to
them for taking advantage Of the sec
ondclass privilege, there is not the
slightest reason why congress
should continue to subsidize these
utterly useless concerns at the rate
of $40, 100000 year. Over half of
the second-class mail matter last
year, or 176, OO0,0 pounds, was COM
posed of this stuff, which ought to
pay third-class rates. Had this enor-
NOUS mass of matter paid the HI
cents which the post Office receives
for every pound of third-class mail,
instead of eight-tenths of one cent
actually received, the deficit of &c.
100000 would have been converted
into a surplus of $16, 637 900. With
any such surplus 1-cent letter post
age would no longer be an irridescent
dream, but an imminent possibility.
Though the amendments proposed
would not operate to give any
such surplus directly because
their effect would be to make the
free circulation of advertising sheets
Improbable, they would indirectly
convert the annual postal deficit into
a surplus of considerable dimensions,
and by relieving the department of
an enormous burden would open the
way to many other needed reforms
in the service. Postmaster General
Smith, upon whose statements the
figures in this article are based,
sums up the need of the reform in
the following words in his last re-
port. No stronger arguement is
needed:
'But for this wrongful application
of the second-class rate, instead of a
deficit there would be a surplus of
many millions. This misapplica-
ton of legitimate public object to
strictly personal ends not only en-
tails a large loss and taxes all the
people for the benefit of a few, but
it cripples the department and OBJ
structs needed improvements. The
wrongs which have proved so injuri-
Gus, were never contemplated by
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