The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-02-12
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
A Blow at Newspapers Radical Rail
road Legislation--American Cot
ton Goods in Manchuria.
Special Cor. Herald and News.

Special Cor. Herald and News. :
Washington, Feb. l1.-Whethcr i'll
tentionally or not the congressional
commission appointed to suggest
changes in the legislation affecting
second-class mail has agreed upon a
bill the effect Of which would be to
impose limitations upon the adver-
tising business of every newspaper
and magazine publisher in the United
States. 1t proposes to exclude from
the mails as second-class matter every
publication in which advertisements
take up more than one-half of the
printed space. The avowed purpose
is to exclude class of publications
which arc primarily advertising
sheets, but the effect would be to in
iurc almost every periodical publ
cation in the country. The editor of
Il country weekly, for instance, would
have to measure up his space every
week and refuse to accept an adver-
tiscmcnt Of any kind after he had
enough to fill half Of his paper. This
might not he burdcnsomc rcstric-
ton part Of the year, but there is
hardly country paper that would
not suffer scvcrel v during the holiday
season, when enough advertisements
are offered to compensate for the
lean weeks throughout the year.
This bill is one Of class very po-
pular at this time with many men,
bers of congress and of state legisla-
lures who believe that the govern
ment should interfere with all kinds
of business. For instance, just at
this time when the most pressing need
Of almost every locality in the coun-
try is additional transportation facil-
tiles, bills are pending in almost every
state Legislature now in session the eff
feet Of which would be to discourage
railroad extension and improvement
in that state. In letter dealing with
the situation in the south and the
need of additional transportation ia
cilities in that section the editor of
the Manufacturers Record says !:
"Under these conditions it bchooves
the whole country to recognize that
this is not time for antagonism
against railroads. The time has pass
ed for destructive criticism, and now
constructive work should be the or
der of the day, or else, as sure. as is
the certainty that tomorrow's sum
will rise, we shall see breaking
down of our railroad interests and a
general collapse of business in the not
very distant future. Unwise agitation
against railroads whether from ignor-
ance or from perverted demagogues
seeking the favor of the public, may
ruin the railroads, but, live the temple
Of old, as they go down, business in
terests, without this pillar Of support
will crumble in the wreck.'
Special Agent Clark, of the Bureau
Of Manufacturers, has just made a
very complete report on the cotton
goods trade in Manchuria. Most Of
the cotton goods shipped from the
United States to Manchuria, go first
to Shanghai and from that port to
distributing points in Manchuria.
These shipments in 1905 amounted to
3,250,375 pieces, an increase Of g.
342, ,705 pieces over ten years ago.
Large as this increase is Mr.. Clark
believes it will continue and that the
market will be broadened by grad
ual use Of finer grades of goods than
are at present used. Mr.. Clark has
forwarded to the bureau samples of
the goods in chief demand in Man
churia. AS soon as the samples ar
rive they will be distributed among
cotton manufacturers and exporters
interested in that trade.
James S. Mccarthy.