Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-07-25

y
week carload upon carload which
Uncle Sam must carry all over the
country for the ridiculous price of l
cent per pound. The order of the post
master general relating to this class
of merchandising newspapers is as
| follows:
| The subscription price must be
shown by the publication, and when it
| appears from the contents or from
the eXtrinsic inducements offered in
combination with it, that the circula-
ton Of the publication is not founded
on its actual value as news or lit
erary journal, and that subscriptions
are not made because of such values,
| but because its offers of merchandise
or other considerations result. in eff
| feet, in its circulation at apparently a
nominal rate, such publication does
not come within the requirements of
the law for acceptance as second class
matter
Return Copies,
Under the old regulations it was
possible for newsdealer to send back
unsold copies of a second-class paper
to another newsdealer at he pound
rate. This privilege was not extended
to the office of publications, as the
regulations were drafted, and it was
supposed to have been made in the
interest of the large news companies,
which in that way could control con-
siderable circulation of the newspapers
because they could receive back I'M
sold copies from their agents at the
pound rate, while the publishers
would have to pay four times as
much.
There has been a feeling in con-
gress that this application of pound
rates to the return of unsold copies,
either to news agents or to publishers,
was a perversion of the original law,
which was intended to keep down the
price to actual subscribers and was
not meant to reduce the expenses of
the Office of publication.
The order issued by the postmaster
general prevents the return of
unsold copies at the rate of one cent
per pound. They will have to pay the
regular rate of one cent for four
ounces, the same as ordinary newspa-
pers and periodicals mailed by IN
dividuals. This prohibition as to the
unsold copies applies both to the news
agents and the publishers.
Colossal Saving.
According to the general estimates
the saving which will be made by the
reform now instituted will amount
to from $12,OO0,OOO to 100000, 900
has merely sought TO cut Off abuses
which the law, as originally passed,
never contemplated. The reform is
aimed solely at the serial paper COW
efed books, the private house Or
gans," the spurious trades journals,
the sheets Of an exclusive advertising
character, the bulk distribution
schemes falsely called subscriptions,
and, finally, the return by news agents
of unsold periodicals for their private
gain, and without benefit either to the
publisher or to the public.
The postmaster general is a practi-
cal newspaper editor Of national repu-
tation, and he asserts that his order
will not interfere with the business of
any legitimate newspaper or periodi-
cal, or, if it does. he will issue sup
Elementary order to correct the mis-
take.
Congress has been repeatedly ap-
peaIed to for q law to correct these
abuses, but there has been one failure
after another, largely because of the
efforts Of a powerful lobby made up Of
the serial book publishers and the
premium newspaper publishers. There
has been no doubt of the power Of any
postmaster general to put stop to
these abuses, but nothing was done
until newspaper editor came to the
head of the departm ent, and he has
accomplished by a single order what
congress has been unable to do after
repeated efforts during the last dozen
years.
It is expected there will be great
deal of opposition and hundreds Of
suits in the federal courts, but the
postmaster general feels entirely con-
fident that he will be able to maintain
the position he has assumed with the
result that the usual annual deficit in
the department will be wiped out en-
tirely.
1t was semi-officially announced at
the postofice department that if the
present reform proves as much Of q
success as is anticipated the depart
ment will at once recommend to con-
gress a reduction in the rate Of letter
postage from cents per ounce, as at
present, to ] cent per ounce, which
would be direct personal and daily
saving to millions Of persons.