Evening star., 1901-12-31
A SWEEPING DENIAL
Post Office Departments Attitude on
Premium PubIicat Ons.
mr.. MADDEN'S STATEMENT
Misrepresentation Made by Many
Publishers. sa
T f r NJ S OF r Q l. 1 \ 6

Through statements reported to the de-
partment as having been openly made by
various publishers, post office efilc,als have
been much misrepresented recently il con-
nection with the Postmaster Generals rul-
ing which denies TO premium publications
secOrd-class rates. Postmaster General
Smith and Mr.. E. c. Madden. third assist
ant postmaster general. in whose province
the classification of mail matter rests. con-
ferred on the subject yesterday and this
morning. and the latter issued subsequent
" a sweeping denial of all the allegations
reported The effect of Mr.. Madden's state
ment is briefly that the departments atti-
tude is now what il was when the pre-
MUM publications order was issued by Mr..
Smith. and that there is no disposition to
change Premium publicatiOns-that is,
publications which build up their subscrip-
tiOn lists chiefly through a system OF pre-
miums for subscriptions-are denied thH
benefit of second-class rates and no othe;s
An Untrue Statement.
The immediate occasion for this statement
was a circular issued by a publishers bu-
reau in Chicago. that the Post Office De-
partment had ruled that a subscription to
any publication entered as second-class
matter must be discontinued on expiration
of the time for which It has been paid in
advance 1t is felt at the department that
such misinterpretation of the department
a order must be adjudged false on its face
Nevertheless, Mr.. Madden has issued gen.
eral instructions to all postmasters to notify
publishers in their respective cities that
the above statement is untrue and misrep-
resents the attitude of the department and
that no change has been made in the postal
regulations with regard TO subscriptions for
legitimate secOnd-class publications.
Another story which has been given wide
publicity by persons other than those men
toned therein concerns an interview had
with the Postmaster General recently by
Senator Mason of Illinois. chairman of the
Senate committee on post offices and post
roads. Senator Mason asked that action
be suspended in the case of a particular
publication which the department thought
might be included among the premium
publication and which might therefore be
denied SecOnd-claSs rates. To that Post
master General Smith assented. with the
understanding that the case should be con-
tinued to a decision after hearing to be
given certain publishers some time next
week by the two congressional committees
on the postal system
On the basis of that interview state
ment was widely circulated that the de-
partment had retreated from it's position
as to premium publications and had suS
pended the recent ruling of the Postmaster
General. 1t was represented, moreover
that this step was only preliminary to a
complete withdrawal of the order. 1t has
been considered unnecessary to meet such
an announcement with formal denial,
but the department regrets exceedingly
that it's position in the matter should be so
persistently misconstrued.
Mr.. Madden's Action.
What the department has done and the
reasons therefor are set forth by Mr. Mad
den in the following terms:
This premium business assumes many
phases Some of them have the appear
ance of eminent respectability. In one in
stance some article of merchandise is given
as the inducement; in another. it may be
chance to win large sum of money, or
perhaps fortune, in a guessing contest;
in another. the premium proposition is
concealed in a combination with some other
article which Is offered for less than it's
regular market value if the two are pur-
chased together, or the periodical is itself
given as a premium for the purchase of
the other article. The purpose of all Is
the same: ii is to secure subscriptions
which on the bare merit of or the desire
for the publication would or might not be
made. Whether the publication be re-
garded good or bad is not a question
Such inducement to subscription violates
the law.
Purpose of the Statute.
The whole purpose of the statute Is to
grant the pound rate only to those periodi-
Gals which command subscribers on their
oNn HieEl-- II d person VIII not pay the
Subscription price for the periodical alone,
then it is certain he does not want it. Why
should the people at large be taxed four
fifths of the cost of transporting it to him
when he is forced to accept 1t either
through its cOmbina ton with another ar
ticle which he wishes to purchase or when
II" wants to take part in guessing con-
test and finds that a condition precedent is
that of being subscriber to the publication
nr slrsare
disc is so combined with it that the peri
odlcal appears to be free of cost? This
practice is responsible for the great over
loading of the mails with pretended news
papers and magazines and other periodi-
Gals
No publication has just claim to be
transported at the public expense until it
Is subscribed for on its Independent merit
al the price fixed by the publisher Why
except for deception or to sell the mer-
chandlse or to initiate a subscription list.
should a subscription price be fixed at 50
Per year when an article of merchandise
valued at 81 is to be given for no increase
OF price, Should not the price OF the pub
IcatIon be fixed honestly, so as to make IL
certain that there shall be no tax upon the
people for the distribution of a publication
which Is not sought for its own sake?
Worked Up by Premiums.
Alleged subscription lists of fabulous
proportions are worked up by this premium
naked merit could scarcely command a sim
gle subscription: yet the government SUBJ
ksdizes them and the people are taxed for
nearly the whole cost of their transporta-
Hon while the publisher grows rich on the
nigh advertising rates he is able to COM
mand on his claim of big subscription
list. with perhaps not one actual reader to
hundred copies
50 long as the premium-in induced sub
6Iiner Is allowed as legitimate so long
VII the pound-rate privilege be abused
stop this by law or by regulation. and ali
puollcatlons, like water will reach their
teIeL The people may be depended upon to
subscribe Tor periodical that is wanted
and Tor the transportation of 10 other
ssouid the government pay any portion of
the cost with the stoppage Of this abuse
~ ~oelers VIII cease 1t is the key to MANY,
especially the so-calied fakes
MORE ENGINEERS HERE.
ArF N s.f