The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-10-27

the actual cost of the service rendered
IN handling 1t, and whether its class1f1-
cation should not accordingly be
grounded upon practical rather than
Ideal Distinction"
Unanimous Protests from the Press.
The commission has just finished a
weeks hearing in New York at which
1t has taken several thousand pages
OF ties -imony. Except for that of
few postal officials, this testimony has
been unanimous that the present rate Is
adequate, just and OF benefit to the
whole people. To change it as pro-
posed would not only put out of business
half the publications in the country,
put would evoke a storm which would
be felt from end to end Of the United
states as soon as the reading public
began to realize the consequences.
Inc religious newspapers, the farm
ers journals, the trade papers, the
leading da1lies, the magazines-all sent
representatives to tell the commission
that the fault was not with the law,
out with the facilities Of the post office
for interpreting it. No matter what
law was passed, such difficulties of in
te1p1 citation would arise.
w. ID. Boyce Speaks Out.
president w. D. Boyce Of the Amer
lean Weekly Publishers association
representing 4,121 weekly newspapers
IN good standing from all parts of the
United States, entered their emphatic
protest against any change in the rate.
IN Mr.. Boyce's association a referen-
dum vote had been taken on the prin-
clpa1 questions before the commission,
ana It's results were presented. Out Of
4.1o1 answers received 1857 publishers
or newspapers voted emphatically
against and change in the rate; 1872
suggested that decrease in the rate
would be more for the public benefit
than an increase
An increase, Mr.. Boyce pointed out,
would Immediately have the effect of
creating monopol1es in business now
open and unrestricted, because it's first
effect would be to kill off half of the
publications now existing. 1t would
be tax on the dissemination of of in
formation and a restriction upon edu
cation. How could a deficit under the
one-cent rate be charged to the pub
fishers, asked Mr.. Royce when it was
is collected and carried by the express
companies, at from a quarter to half
cent pound for $50 piles or more,
a. greater distance than the average
haul of mail matter Of all classes in
the United States?
10 other proposals of the post office
department, such as the forbidding Of
the sending Of sample copies to adver-
Users. the refusal of credit to sub
scr1bers and the restriction of adver-
Using in newspapers, 90 per cent of
the weekly publishers had also voted
an emphatic NO. He presented list
OF papers in the association from which
these responses came. 1t plainly i'm
pressed the commission and was in
GUIDED In the transcript of it's proceed
ings.
Real Solution Suggested.
1.-The publishers solution Of the prob
lem has not yet been presented to the
commission, but it will be at future
privately, 1t has received the partial
endorsement of the post office depart
ment The suggested solution will be
presented to the Periodical Publishers
association representing the principal
magazines and weekly journals in the
United States.
The association believes that the
present second-class rate of a cent a.
pound should be retained 1t proposes
however, that there be created by
congress permanent postal commits
sion of three members, one of who
should be familiar with the publishing
business, to weed out of the second
class mail all publica tons which should
not be in it. The association would
deal with all matters in dispute arising
under the postal regulations in much
the same manner as the Interstate COM
mission does with disputes over inter-
state commerce. Appeal from it's decis-
ION might be made to the United States
circuit court, but this appeal would
be final.
After the creation of this commission
the Periodical Publishers association
oelleVes that the second-class mail reg
ulatlons would right themselves The
commission would pass on all appli-
cations for admission to the second
class rate and thus end many exactions
and delays. By keeping out improper
it would reduce the deficit
from the second-class mail traffic as
much as 1t can or should be reduced,
and generally 1t would bring peace to
the harrassed post office department.
Th1s, the association feels, is the
best. or is, in fact, the only way of
dealing with the problem. The plan
is warmly endorsed by the publishers
associations of all classes and it will
go before the commission so strongly
backed by those who understand the
situation best, that good reason will
be furnished for it's adoption. But at
present it Is the only counter propo-
sition to the extraordinary remedy ad-
vocated by Mr.. Madden.
Mr.. Union Man: Notify your baker
hal II III ct