Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-04-25
MAIL ORDER JOURNALS.
Postal Department Puts the Sorrows on
Two at "Nominal" Rate.

FoStat department. TutS the Screws on
Two at "Nominal" Rate.
Postmaster General Cortelyou on the
last day of his service in that position
issued an order withdrawing second
class mail privileges from two mail or
der publications Of very wide clrcula-
ton. These two monthlics, published
from a western city, had a combined
circulation of more than 2,OOO,O 600. They
circulated at 10 cents a year, which
rate Mr.. Cortelyou held to be merely
nominal" The postmaster general
also held that the publications were
primarily advertising sheets.
1t is understood that the p~ostohice
department is after several other pub
hcations with merely nominal subscrip-
ton rates, and more will be heard very
probably about this matter. Meanwhile
the publisher of the two excluded peri
odicals is threatening dire vengeance
against Mr.. Cortelyou and other Off
Gals who. according to this publisher,
robbed the people of their favorite
papers,"
This incident is mentioned here lust
to call attention to the recent remark
able growth Of the 50 called mail or
der" papers. OF late years a surpris-
ing number OF cheap, timsy, ill edited
sheets has been sent broadcast, reach
ing every village, crossroads and rural
delivery farmhouse in the country.
The chief object of such publications.,
of course, Is to carry advertisements
from the mail order houses and not to
disseminate interesting reading mat
ter. The fact that the publications do
print some reading matter and are os-
tensibly newspapers or magazines gives
them access to the mails at second
class rates, and in order to attain the
largest circulation possible they place
their subscription rates just as low as
they dare.
The few pennies charged for such
publications are paid cheerfully by al
most anybody to whom the offer is
presented. AS a consequence the ad-
vertisements Of the big mail order
houses in Chicago and other large
cities. Chicago being practically the ma
tional capital of such houses, are read
by millions of people. These advertise
ments penetrate to the remotest by
ways Of the land. The townsman who
takes his local weekly paper also takes
one or more of these monthly ten cent
ers Usually the mail order periodical
is published under a title having a spe-
cial appeal to women. 1t Is the WON
en-, as a rule, who have an eye to bar
gains. They read what they deem a
bargain offer. mail their money for it
and now and then get in return an ar
ticle which pleases them. The local
storekeepers in all probability keep the
same grade Of article or something just
as good at about the same figure.
But, whether the mail order buyer
gets a bargain or a disappointment, he
or she is sending money out of the
community which never comes back.
The dollar mailed from Millville, Mo.
to Chicago is a gone gosling. 1t never
comes back to circulate around Mill
vile and make glad the hearts Of the
people. One dollar gone astray and
lost in the vortex of the great city
won't hurt Millville much, but when a
hundred Or more of Millville's citizens
and the farmers who live around Mill
vile send many dollars each in the
course Of the year to get lost in the
shuttle afar Off Millville is going to be
hurt so that the town will feel it.
Thousands of rural communities in the
United States have been badly hurt in
late years by this sapping of cash
Through mail orders.
it up, in the opinion Of n who has
studied the situation, the most impor-
tant thing to do now is to compete with
the mail order journals. 1t is obvious
that in order to do so you must meet
advertisement with advertisement. Lo-
cal merchants who carry we'll assorted
stocks and find many kinds of goods
lying or the shelves till they get shelf
worn, while those who should be their
patrons are mailing money away for
the same kinds of goods, might profit
by letting the people know just exactly
what they have in stock and what the
prices are. AS a rule, the family that
takes a mail order journal also takes
the local newspaper. Your local news
paper is your best weapon Of defense
in this direction.