Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-28
Recommendations as to News
paper Mail Rates.
EXCLUDE MAGAZINES
Report Of the Joint Postal Commits
sion.
INQUIRY IN VIEW
Proposed to Count, Weigh and Clas-
sify All Mail Matter for Six
Months From July l.


Months From July l.
The report of the joint postal commission
authorized at the last session OF Congress
to investigate and report to that body its
conclusions on the operation and effect OF
the existing law relative to the second
class mail matter and what changes. II
any. should be made. has been made public.
The commission makes a number Of sweep
ing recommendation looking to a reform
in the postal service. and has drafted
measure embodying such changes as It
thinks ought to be made. Among the most
important additions to existing Law as re-
CARDS second-class mail matter embodied
In this measure are the following:
"A newspaper or other periodical may
be in part composed of advertisements
which are permanently inserted in. or at
tached to the same. but such advertise
ments shall not constitute more than 80
per centum of the superficial area of any
issue of the publication; nor shall any
advertisement be printed on card, CLOTH or
any substance other than paper, nor upon
paper of greater weight than the text OF
such publication.
AN issue Of q newspaper or other
pCkiOuACcI may VIC COulPOoCu VI QdA 70 VI
sections. but all such parts or sections
shall be made Of the same size. form and
weight of paper, and shall. when taken
together. form one complete and identi-
fable whole All provisions Of law ap-
plicable to q newspaper or periodical shall
apply equally to each and every section
thereof. With a regular issue Of a news
paper OF other periodical a supplement may
be inclOsed or folded.
Supplements shall not be printed on any
other substance than paper. nor. except IN
the case of maps and plans illustrative OF
the text, shall be Of different form from the
main body of the publication. No supple
ment shall be composed Of or contain ad-
vertisements, but the same shall be con-
fined to matter germane to the regular
issue and supplied In order to complete
matter left Incomplete in the main body OF
the publication"
The proposed law refuses the second-class
rate to periodical publications consisting
wholly or substantially Of fiction.
With each issue of newspaper or other
periodical the publisher may mail at the
second-class rates OF postage samples OF
such issue, but mot to exceed ten per
centum OF the total number of the copies
Of such issue mailed by him to actual sub
scribers, as the same appears by sworn
statement of such issue required to be sub
mitted to the postmaster at the ONCE OF
mailing"
Postal Appeals Commission.
The appointment Of a postal appeals COM
mission In the Post Office Department Is
provided for. to consist Of three members.
at least one Of whom shall be a person who
has had actual experience in the conduct
of the publishing business. and at least one
Of whom shall be learned in the law and
= member Of ten years' standing OF the par
tory of the United States or the District OF
Columbia. The commission Is to enter ON
Its duties the first Of next July.
Hn ~ IAay
appeals Of the proprietor or publisher of
any newspaper or periodical publication
which has been denied admission to the Sec
ond class Of mail matter. and determine
such appeals with respect as well to mat
tiers Of fact as matters OF law.
Authority is given to the Postmaster Gen.
eral to require an opinion OF the commits
sion regarding questions of law respecting
the classification of mall matter, and the
right to admission to the second class. II.
In the Judgment Of the Postmaster General
the class privilege Of any publication should
be suspended, revoked or annulled he must
submit the case by petition or by informa-
ton to the commission. Publishers and
proprietors are to be given due notice OF
application to the commission, together with
the grounds upon which such suspension,
annulment or revocation should be made.
Persons to whom such notice is given are
required to answer such rule, petition or APP
plication and the commission il empowered
to hear the case and render decision.
The findings. determination, decision or
Judgment of the commission upon any APP
peal from q refusal to admit second-class
publications or for the removal from the
second class, or the suspension, annulment
or revocation Of its second-class privilege
shall be final and conclusive. The conStruc-
ton or application Of any law or statute re-
lating to classification of mail matter made
by the commission shall be controlling upon
the post office and all its employees unless
overruIed by some competent court Of the
United States.
Register of Periodicals.
Proprietors and publishers Of newspapers
or periodicals may apply to have the same
placed upon a register of the Post Office
Department as being entitled to second
class rates, such application to be verified
by the oath Of the applicant and accom-
panied by a copy of the newspaper or
periodical as well as fee of s.. Pending
final action upon the application, the Post
master General is authorized to issue a
temporary permit for the transmission of
such publication at second-class rates.
The requirement is made that where an
article Is offered for sale in combination
with the subscription for a newspaper or
periodical admitted to the second class
the price of such article shall be clearly
stated in such publication, together with
the price of the publication, and in all
cases the regular advertised price of the
publication.
Exhaustive Inquiry Proposed.
The commission urgently recommends
new weighing, similar to that now in prog
ress, but extended to embrace for the pc
Rod of six months beginning July !, 1907.
a weighing Of all mail matter transported
throughout the entire United States. class
by class: counting OF all pieces of mall
matter, class by class; Weighing and
counting combined OF the individual pieces
Of third, fourth and second-class matter,
according to its natural subdivision, In
such manner as to show not merely the
average weight Of piece of such matter.
but the average weight of lie Individual
pieces according to the classification In re-
spect Of character and method of handling;
the ascertainment Of the average haul OF
all classes of matter under each subdivi-