The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-03


books by freight, and by the personal
distribution from the office of all the
copies possible
The State 'Pays the Freight,
But in spite of his desire to cut down
the postage bill as low as possible, Sec
rotary Coburn doesn't accept the stamps
Wnlch are sent in by people throughout
tn0 state for the purpose of paying the
postage on the report while he has post
age available.
Many an honest old farmer who has
sent in 40 cents worth of postage stamps
10 Mr.. Coburn with a request for a
copy OF the report has been astohished
TO receive within day or two the de-
sired copy OF the book, and to find re-
posing between the fly leaves the stamps
which he sent to pay the postage charge.
he also receives a postal card from Mr.
/ Coburn, on which Mr.. Coburn says that
the book is furnished by the state board
OF agriculture with its compliments. and
that the stamps sent to pay the postage
are returned with the book
| Whereat the man outin the short grass
country picks up the bunch of stamps,
which he never expected to see again
| and says:
wall, I swan! 1 always thought
them fellers up at Topeka would keep
everything they could get their hands
on, but this man Coburn, he must be
| different"
| Why COburn Sends the Stamps Back.
| Mr.. Coburn sends the stamps back to
residents of Kansas only. People out
side the state must pay the cost of
transportation if they desire a book.
| These are the twin rules.
| 1T wouldn't be a fair proposition"
| said Mr.. Coburn, ito send out our re-
ports to part of the people of Kansas
| free OF charge, and make the others pay
postage. These reports belong to the
people of Kansas. we don't want them
| here at this office. The farmer out in
Sneyenne or Morton county helps pay
| for these books. He also contributes
toward that $4,000 which the state al
| lows for postage. He is entitled to all
| of his share of the benefit, as far as we
are able to give 1t to him. I don't be-
| lieve in discriminating between the tax
payers of the state. Some of them write
port by express and I will pay the
| charges Now If I should do that the
recipient would have to pay about 70
cents charges. while If prepay the ex-
press charges here, it costs only SO
cents''
He Doesn't Gill Orders.'
Secretary Coburn does not I'LL or
ders" for books requested through 9TH
er parties; and he doesn't run book
store. This is one of the things which
even the people of Kansas have not
fully discovered.
If a Kansas man writes to Mr.. Co
port, he will get it, provided there are
any on hand. But he can't say please
send copies to Bill Smith, Tom Brown,
John Jones and Dick Doe" Mr.. Co
burn says:
IA man who does not care enough
about getting a copy of this report to
spend two cents for a letter of re-
quest, or even one cent for a postal
to read this report after receiving it.
We want to place this report in the
hands of people who say, I must have
a copy of that book. Lscan't get along
nIIf i1 for 70
give about one farmer in 20 through
out the state copy; consequently we
must be careful where they go. If we
printed ten times as big an edition |
as we do, we could afford to shovel
them out promiscuously to as many
people as we could find who would
take them. But I won't give a copy |
of this book to anyone to whom I |
must say Here, take this copy of this |
book. Put it in your pocket and carry |
1t away with you; help US get rid of
them
Neither does the secretary of the
board keep lot of copies of his re- |
ports and quarterlies on hand. Every |
thing is mailed out as fast as receiv-
ed from the printer Out of the 10000
have been finished, but it is safe to say |
that there are not a dozen copies of
the book at the secretarys office at
the end of the day. Two men are kept
busy sending out the books as fast as
they come over from the state print
ing shop One of the men checks up
the requests for books, revises the
mailing list and writes labels. The
other sticks in the front of each book
a little star shaped label in gold and
black, which says, Compliments of
the Kansas State Board of Agriculture.
F. D. Coburn, secretary, Topeka" He
wraps the book up securely in manila
paper, and sticks on the address label
and postage stamps. The book is not
in Topeka more than "a hours after it
is ripe and delivered from the bind
cry.
Outsiders Must Pay.
Of course there are innumerable re-
quests for the reports which come
from private parties outside of kan
sas.
Some of these requests are no doubt
from people who are thinking seriously
of coming to Kansas to live. 1t is a
good thing for the state to give them
the right kind of information about
Kansas Hence one of the most i'm
portant parts of Mr.. CobHrn's work is
in the distribution of the reports.
"Sending these reports outside of the
state is sort of speculation or in
vestment," said Mr. Coburn; The state
book in the hope of getting perman-
ant resident. But we require as an
evidence of good faith, that the out
slider pay the postage on the book. We
book If he will put up the cost of :
Then If he comes to
kansas as a result of reading the book,
we both win If he doesn't We both
ose."
IT is a big job to distribute wisely
he 60 tons of this one issue of the
books which the state is printing in
he interests of it's agricultural adj
dish the result. Thanks to F. D. Co
o11rn Kansas has the system.