The Penn's Grove record., 1901-07-19
CHECKING MAIL ABUSES
CHECNTNG WAL ABUSES
Reforms That May Lead to One Cent
Letter Postage.
Three Important Orders DebarrinR
Premium" Publications From
Second Class Rates issued.

Washington, D. C.-Postmaster- Gen
eral Smith has signed three orders
amending in important particulars
three postal regulations affecting sec
ond-class mail matter. The first order
amends Section 276, which is the gen
eral definition, so as to exclude from
the second-class publications which
have the characteristics of books.
This amendment is In these words:
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 mot excluding Advertising,
md conforms to the statutory charac-
teristics of second-class matter"
The second order amends Section
291 in several particulars, the princi-
pal n being that publications, the
subscriptions to which are not found
ed on their value as news or literary
journals, and which, by the general
use Of premiums or other considera-
tlops in the form of chances to win
prizes, etc, to induce subscriptions,
III ShtCL IllGuluNC al dllftit mug " va
inal rate, will be excluded from the
second class. The essential paragraph
of this is as follows:
THE subscription price must be
shown by the publication, and when 1t
appears from the contents, or from
the eytrinsic inducements offered in
common with 1t, that the circulation
Of the publication is not founded on its
value as a ews or literary journal
and that subscriptions are not made
because of such value, but because its
offers Of merchandise or other consid-
GRAFTON result, in effect, IN its circula-
ton at apparently a nominal rate,
such publication does not come within
the requirements of the law for ac-
ceptance as second-class matter"
The third order amends Section 301,
50 that unsold copies of second-class
publications may not he returned at
the pound rate to news agents or TO
publishers.
An explanatory statement given out
at the Department regarding the or
der says; "The action of Postmaster
General Smith is regarded as highly
important. It Is evidence of the pur-
pose of the Department to administer
the law as it is, strictly and properly.
and thatabuses, wherever found, win
be eradicated. Loose and Indifferent
Interpretation heretofore Is RESPONSE
Bile for the loss of many millions to
the Government. 1t is believed that
when the effect of the changes is thor
oughly established many postal i'm
provements win follow, and one-cent
letter postage will be made possible"
An immediate effect of the orders
will be to bar from the mails at regu-
lar publication rates all fake" publ
cations and other periodicals whose
circulation depends on various lottery
and prize schemes. No legitimate
publication will be injured by the new
dispensatlon. On the contrary, all
such publications, including news
papers and magazines Of established
character, will be distinctly benefited
through the practical suppression by
the Postofice Department of catch
penny periodicals that have been sys-
tematically swindling the Government
out of millions Of revenue every year
by b%urdening the mails with a class Of
matter which the lawmakers never in
tended should be considered as emit
tied to the rate of second-class mail.