Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-07-25
STOPPAGE OF GREAT FRAUDS
MAKES 1T POSSIBLE.
postmaster General Makes a Most
important Ruling of Benefit to all
Legitimate Publishers and to the
People as Whole-Many Millions
Saved Annually.

mail matter system, has been issued
and 1t makes sweeping changes in the
entire system. Summed up, the order
of the postmaster general bars from
the mails at the pound rate paper
backed novels and similar publica
tons; secondly, it deprives of the
pound rates newspapers and periodi
Gals which have no bona fide subscrip
ton lists, but which are merely
thrown in to the purchaser as some
more or less attractive premium
Finally, the order prescribes that I'M
sold copies of newspapers cannot be
returned at the pound rate, either tC
the publishers or to central news
agencies.
The order is believed to be sui
ficiently sweeping to effect a saving
of many millions of dollars in the ex.
penditures Of the postoffice depart
ment, while at the same time il is
claimed that it will not do any Unjust
ice to legitimate newspapers and
periodicals, for whose benefit alone
the law was passed originally.
With the large increase in the pos
tai revenues, which will come as the
result of the execution of this order,
it is believed that the first step will be
taken toward the establishment of
penny postage. This and the develop
ment Of the rural free delivery service
have been counted upon t. be the
great triumphs of the two Mckinley
administrations, so far as the postof-
flee is concerned.
One Kind of Abuse.
For the information of the general
public, it should be stated, perhaps,
that if a magazine or newspaper is
sent out from the office of publication
it pays postage at the rate of only l
cent per pound. On the same periodi-
cal mailed by an individual, not the
publisher, the rate is one cent for
each four ounces or four cents per
pound.
When congress enacted the law pro-
viding for an unusually low rate to
publishers it was for the purpose of
establishing newspapers and legiti-
mate periodicals as a valuable aid to
the education of the people. Certain
smart businessmen began publishing
paper covered books, which were COM
plete volumes in every way, but
which were marked as separate num-
bers Of some so-called library. In
this way they claimed the advantage
of the pound rate, and, through the
weakened action of the postoffice of
ficials, they gained their point.
Thus it happened that if the pub
Usher of paper backed book called
his series a library of some sort, and
issued it with more or less regularity,
he was enabled to send it through the
mail at one cent pound postage.
The regular rate for books is one
cent for each two ounces or eight
cents per pound. Thus it happened
that under the old rulings of the de-
partment legitimate book publishers
were compelled to pay eight times as
much postage as the cheap books is
sued generally by irresponsible pub
fishers.
The resulting loss of revenue to
Uncle Sam was two-fold. He was
compelled to carry millions of paper
books at one cent per pound, whereas
it was figured out that it cost him
about eight cents per pound to do the
work. The government was, therefore,
at a dead loss for the millions of
j 4lo
try for many years back.
On the other hand, the legitimate
book publishers could not compete
with these concerns which were en-
abled to send book post paid to any
purchaser, merely because it was
called part of a mythical periodical
These legitimate purchasers, there
fore, resorted to the express and
freight companies, securing rates low
enough by sending large quantities OF
different books to distributing agen'
cies throughout the country.
The action today by the postmaster
general cuts out of the pound rate Ell
tirely all the paper backed books
They will have to pay one cent for
every two ounces hereafter, being put
on exactly the same basis as bound
books always have been.
The order of the postmaster gen
eral, regarding this particular abuse
of the second-class privileges, is as
follows:
periodical publications herein re
ferred to are held not to include those
having the characteristics Of books
but only such as consist of current
news or miscellaneous literary matter
or both, not excluding advertising
and conform to the statutory charac
teristics of second-class matter"
Fake Sheets.
While this abuse of IN act of con
gress has assumed large proportions
there has grown up another which
perhaps is more serious, because it
has little claim to the education OF
the people. This concerns what is
known as the premium newspaper, OF
advertising fake sheet" These pub.
locations are weekly papers on the sur
face. They contain some reading mat.
ter, generally Of an exceedingly trashy
character, but the whole aim and pur-
pose of the publication is either to Sc
cure circulation for advertising alone,
or else to sell under the guise OF
premiums, various articles manu-
tured or sold by the alleged pub
fishers.
These so-called newspapers are not
necessarily immoral, or even fraudu-
lent, nor are the articles they get rid
of through the medium Of the news
paper premium list necessarily in
ferior. The point is, the newspaper is