Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-12-28
LOOKER.ON in IOWA !


New Sharon. Dec 28.--The recent
ruling of the postofice department, TO
to the effect that the publishers OIL
daily papers cannot send the paper AT
newspaper rate of prices to any SUB
scriber three months in arrears, the
order taking effect Jan. LIST. 1905, Dut
not to be enforced till July lst has
caused much comment and many say
they are glad of it. 1t virtually
amounts to Il system requiring an
payments in advance. Publishers of
weekly papers, seni-weelily and mag
azines will be allowed TO have present
newspaper rates of postage TO send
their publications when such SUD
scribers are one year in arrears Sew
e1al of the state dailies have already
advertised their rates as cash in adj
vauc and proprietors OF weekly pa
pers are arranging their business 10
comply with the new order oil Things.
Nominally this ruling is for the pur-
pose of preventing advertising sheets
calling themselves daily or weekly pa
pers or some kind of a magazine, from
getting the low rate of newspaper
portage At the present time any one
can publish any kind of paper or
magazine. and by stating their terms
of subscription at so much per year.
send it to any address, this whether
the subscription price is paid IN ad-
vance, at the end of the year, or
never The majority CT such papers
do not expect but a few to SEND IN
subscription money or to try 10 COZ
lect it, Hence the postmaster general
reasons this new order will XIII such
publications as they have compare
lively no paying subscribers. MI
Never, the postmaster general may
knoy, much about state-cratt am
have served his country well at nome
and al foau. but he is not practlcai
new spaper man. His order amounts
to nothing for this reason THE Home
Comfort" so cents per year. Tree OF
advertisements attains a list or lo0,-
600 names and sends out the paper to
them The Comfort pays newspaper
hostage. and in three months, under
the new ruling, is compelled to suspend
publication because nearly all of its
subscribers are three months In ar
rears Just before the three mohths
expiration these publications start an
other paper, so cents per year. rms
time it is called the Home visitor anu
again they have a three months tease
Of life. Then change it again TO $loo
per year and call it the Saturday Nlsht
story paper. And so on again. MT.
Never has another think comm
Again, we have congressman ana
senators in Washington that would
not be there, unless some weekly pa
pers were published. These men VIII
hear from their constituents very soon
and Mr.. Meyer will he called upon. we
are entering upon presidential cam
paign in which newspapers take an
active part. 1t will not be wise move
70 virtually destroy and cause to go
ont of business several hundred week
Nv papers, for the sake of trying plan
to kill off advertising sheets, espec-
ially when such plan as shown IN
preceding paragraph amounts TO
nothing, and fails to accom-
plish the desired end. Mr. Meyer mas
already antagonized the retaii
dealer in our country towns by ms
advocacy of the parcels post delivery,
and he now adds to it a ruling that
viii make him a very unpopular man
with the mist influential class OF men
IN these United States. that of the
editors of the country weekly Ihls
sound. like buncombe to the average
reader. in New York and Chicago, but
those of us thrown IN contact WIN
all classes of men in our country
| towns. know that the country Weehls
not only reflects but mouds puohc
| opinion.
once more and here the publishers
of weekly papers, this referring TO the
Legitimate weekly, think they nave
some rights that Mr.. Meyer nor no
! ether government official has or VIII
have till this government becomes an
absolute monarchy, and one OF tne'h 10
tho right to contract Some Iowa pub
Fishers have already taken legal ad-
vice. and are told that they nave
right to sell their papers on one or
twenty years time That they can con-
tract for labor or material or supplies
to be paid for in subscription at any
time agreed upon between the con-
| tracing parties. That POSTMASTER
General Meyer has not the power ana
no postmaster general ever VIII nave
the power, to destroy such CONTRACT
| nv a ruling that calls for cash trans
action. That such ruling Virtually
comes under the head Of class leg:sla-
ton is therefore unconstitutional. That
any Judge would grant an injunction
and probably make it permanent to
prevent such postmaster general deny
ing any paper the rate of postage CIV
on any other newspaper that sells for
cash in advance.
| And. finally, while the average sub
scriber to any publication likes the
plan of stopping a paper when the
time is OUT just the same the aver
age subscriber does not like the idea OF
any government official, that is In
these United States, having or exercis-
ling such power to prevent any bus
mess deal he may see fit to make with
any other man. If he sees fit to con-
tract for a paper and pay in wood
sometime during the year, the average
citizen of this country proposes to re-
tain that right It's true in these good
times it makes but little difference to
the average newspaper reader, whether
he paws in advance or not, but just the
same he does not propose to nave
Postmaster General Meyer, President
Roosevelt or any other man tell him to
nav in advance for reading matter or
| Won cannot receive it thru the mail at
| the same rates as your neighbor, that
nays cash in advance. This kind of
,o+orn,licn, the subscriber is not