The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-10-03
lLLEGA USE OF
ONEC ! POSTAGE
DEFICIT or st4,ooo,oOo LARGELY
DUE TO IMPROPER GLASS;.
FIcATIoN or NEWsPA.
PIERS.

NEW YORK, October 3.-The Uni
ted States Postal Commission, which
is investigating the alleged violations
of the law by publications which lille
galy enjoy the one-cent postage rate,
met here Monday. The commission
is composed OF United States sena-
tors Penrose, Of Pennsylvania, chair.
man; Clay, of Georgia, and Carter, Of
Montana, and Representatives Over.
street, of Indiana; Gardner Of New
Jersey, and Moon, of Tennessee.
Third Assistant Postmaster General
Edward G. Madden, who represents
Postmaster General Cortelyou, read
a long address to the commission. in
which he cited the evils which, he
said, have resulted from defective
legislation covering the classification
Of pound.rate postal matter. He said
that the deficit in postal receipts last
year was more than SiA.eO0O0O, and
claimed that most of THIS Is directly
chargeable to publications that have
nnlawfully taken advantage Of the low
rate when they could not I'll the re-
quirements OF magazines and other
publications to the low rate requires
that each must have a bonafide sub
scription list, and that each subscrlp.
ton must be paid for by the snbscrib-
er or a friend.
Letters which the postolTice author
tiles sent out to persons whose names
we're on some Of the alleged fraulu-
lent lists, said Mr.. Madden, brought
replies 10 the effect that tile individual
in number of cases was receiving
the magazine without paying for 1t.
Mr.. Madden said that the act does
not define what a newspaper really
is. He produced 4 large number of
so.called newspapers, which conform
cd with every requirement OF the law,
and yet are so small that they weigh
60 TO the pound. In appearance they
are simply nothing more or less than
pamphlets, and yet on account of the
lncompleteness Of the law they are
admitted at the cent-a,pound rate.
5 The American. Periodical Publish
ing Association and the National AS
ISOLATION Of Newspaper Circulation
Managers were represented before the
commission. To illustrate the great
abuses to which the rate act is sub
Iected. Mr.. Madden exhibited many
publications. which he said were call
ed newspapers. Nearly all of thcs"
were Western publications. Several
Of them we're only by 214 inches.
having six pages. He severely criti.
cised the makeup of some Of the Sun
day papers. He declared that, al
though books are excluded from the
second.class rate, many stories are
printed in the Sunday papers from
book form in weekly or daily install
ments.
Many newspapers, Mr.. Madden said,
issue supplements, such as calendars,
picture postal cards
and the like, all of which are not legal
ly provided for by the cent.a-pound
rate. In some industrial magazines, 1t
was shown by him, full.page samples
Of writing paper, wallpaper and even
wooden sultings, and inserted, which
is carried in the mails in any other
way would be chargeabe at 16 cents
a pound.
William A. Glasgow, Jr., who is
representing the Periodical Associa-
ton. then asked Mr.. Madden If hel
thought a law could be framed which
could of itself govern the rate law
without tn, necessity of particular
by the PostofIice Depart
ment. Mr.. Madden replied that heI
thought such an act could be prepared.