Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-16
Postmaster General Declares
Papers of Fraternal Socie-
ties Second-C Glass Matter
1T is A LONG SOUGHT VICTORY
The Fraternal Men Claim That the
Placing of Papers Published in the
Interest Of Their Societies in First
Glass Mail Matter,Was unjust-copy
of the Ruling.

Des Moines, Feb. 16.-The papers
published in the interests of the frater-
nal societies of this state and of other
states will hereafter be admitted to the
mails as second class matter, according
to a ruling just made by Postmaster
General Payne The decision in ques-
ton is a big victory for the fraternal
men and one for which they have been
fighting for long time. 1t takes their
publications out of a class IN which
they contend they have been unjustly
placed.
The act of the postoffice department
in relation to this matter was aimed TO
shut out of the mails those publications.
which were loaded with advertisements
and printed only a very small Quanuty
of reading matter. They charged from
10 to % cents a year subscription Iii
order to gain admission to the mails.
one particularly prominent publication
of this class is said to have cost the
government 100000 year to handle
lis immense business. The new law
which went into effect year ago smut
this class of publications out of the sec
ond class list, and also, in its sweeping
ruling, put the ban upon the fraternal
papers, claiming that they should also
pay first class postage. The rule IN
relation to the fraternal papers was,
however, ignored for some time ana the
monthly issues received as usual until
the first of this year, when, by further
instructions from the third assistant
postmaster general. the rule was rigidly
enforced for the first time.
Last month, when the first wagon
load of tbs Shield. the paper published
in this city in the interests of the
Yeomen, backed up to the postofhce
the driver was presented with an order
from Postmaster Mckay declining to
receive it as second class matter. He
informed the Yeomen officials that he
had no other course to pursue after the
receipt of the explicit orders from the
department. The fraternal society de-
posted sufficient bond to protect the
postmaster in case they were finally
compelled to pay first class postage,
and the issue was received at the post
office and distributed to its subscribers.
. Inc ruling maze Dy IOStiHaSteT Geu-
eral Payne is as follows:
where the claimed list of legitimate
subscribers upon which is based an APP
plication for entry of periodical pub
LEGATION of fraternal society to the
second class of mail matter under the
act of March 8, 1897, is composed en-
tirely or partly of members of the fra
ternal society publishing the same
and whose subscriptions are made
direct to the members of such society. |
or where such subscriptions are paid |
for from the funds 70 such fraternal |
society, which funds are contributed by /
the members and belong to such fra
ternal society, 1T is allowed that such |
are legitimate within the
of the law, and that they may /
be counted among and as legitimate
enumerated in circular III, I
page 1913, of the January. 1903, Postal
Guide. and section 1876 of the Postal /
Laws and Regulations"