Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-12-05

every issue of S13,421 AS compared
with this cash gift by the government,
the publishers, besides the postage,
paid about $4,473 for the white paper,
and, as shown by an expert reckoning,
S127.16 for composition, all these
items together amounting to S6,837.
There is not well informed publisher
in the country who would not say that
$500 was an extremely liberal allow
ance for all other expenses, making
a total cost to the publishers of 1887,
as against net cost to the govern
ment of s13.421; so that the govern
ment contributed about S6,084 more
on every issue to the expense of run
ming that publication than the pub
fishers themselves contributed.
The publication in question does
not conform to the statutory charac-
teristics of second-class matter. 1t
was not originated and is not PUB
lished for "the dissemination of ipfol'-
nation of a public character" 1t is
not devoted to literature, the sci
ences arts, or any special industry"
Nearly one-half of its circulation, not
merely of one issue alone, but of all,
is avowedly free, being made up of
sample copies. OF the other half it
is believed that the bulk is substan-
TALLY free, being sent to procdred
names without charge, or to ostensi-
BILE subscribers obtained through mer-
chandise premiums substantially
equal in value to the subscription
price, thus making it a circulation at
nominal rate.
The object of this enormous free
circulation is to establish a basis for
securing advertising at high rate,
and an expert examination shows that
the amount of advertising in a single
issue at the published rate reaches
s53, $3.50 Thus we have the extraordi-
nary spectacle of the government
being subjected to direct loss of
$13,421, for which all the people are
taxed, in order that the publishers OF
this particular periodical may make
profit on advertising of $50, 7S0, out of
which they paid only 1887 toward
the cost of the enterprise. These, let
it be remembered, are the figures of
only one issue. Multiply them by
the number of issues through the year
and both. the loss to the government
and the profit to the publishers run
up into the hundreds of thousands of
dollars. 1t is obvious that this publ
cation is published primarily for adj
vertsing purposes" and so is directly
repugnant to the provisions of the
law; and it is only a specimen of
hundreds of others. A group of peri
odicals of the same character pub
lished by one firm sends 4,4S2,824
pounds year through the mails, to
transport which costs the government
! $224,141, and on which its net loss is
$179,312. Still another periodical
mails 1924 pounds of a single issue,
the carrying of which involves loss
to the government of $6,369.72. These
illustrations might be multiplied in
definitely.
To correct the various abuses thus
4
taken a more strict application of the
law. The saving will amount to sew
eral million dollars a year, and will
not ony make the service self-sustain-
ing but permit important advances on
other lines.
Legitimate Periodicals.
In this work of reform the legiti-
mate newspapers and magazines have
an interest as immediate and vital as
that of the government and people
themselves. No criticism falls on
them and no laying of the AK at rooted
evils menaoes their position. They
ask no favors. They stand on their
rights. With their fixed place, their
public object, and their regular body
of readers, they are the direct objects
of that deliberate and enlightened pub.
lie intelligence They observe and full
fill the requirements of the law. And
because they do they have the more
concern in eliminating those which
do not.
Rural Free Delivery.
The rural free delivery has ad,
vanced with increased strides. Its
extension during the past year has
been nearly three times as great as
the whole amount of service previous
ly established. The number of routes
in operation at the beginning of the
fiscal year was $1,276, and at the close
4,301. During the current year, with
an augmented appropriation and =
more experienced force, the work will
proceed still more rapidly. The num-
Der of routes will encrease by July l
1902, to $500.
On an average there are 125 fami.
lies on a route Under the old system
they travelled from to miles in go
ing to the postoffice. If the cost in
time and other factors be reckoned al
10 cents a day for each family, it is
clearly moderate estimate. That
made an aggregate of $3.50 a day
The government can deliver the mail
at the doors of all for So. Why
shouldn't it do so and save them the
l.