The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-02-06
A FOOLISH POSTAL BILL.

The Congressional Postal Commit.
Tee. consisting Of Senators Penrose
Carter and Moon have prepared a bill
o set the Postal Department editing
all the news papers, magazines and
w ekly periodicals in the country.
That this Is nor ali extreme state
nent of the purpose of the measure,
let The words of the accompanying
committee report be cited;
Another consequence Of the ey
1ansiye power OF fiction is found iu
he confusion of the newspaper and
magazine types and he unhealthy eN
9ggeration of the modern newspaper,
IS shown especially in it4 Sunday edi
tien
THE newspaper Is rapidly being
extended into the magazine field al
The sacrifice of both he postal rev
anue and the true mission OF the news
paper The miscellaneous matter con
tanned in the Sunday issue OF a news
paper must Of necessity lack the quail
ity to make it socially and education
ally valuable"
TIL committee are properly charged
with recommending postal rates on
nail matter; no publisher objects to
heir doing so. But when their mem
beers try 10 distinguish between the
magazine type" of the printed mat
er and the newspaper type" and to
determine just what tho magazine
leld" is, they do what no editor has
aYes Yet been wise enough 70 accom-
1lish, and which no Government ofic-
Al hould be permitted 10 attempt
Almos incredible are the means
proposed to check the 'unhealty exae
geration' of the newspapers. Thus
No newspaper or part or section Of q
newspaper or other periodical must
consist wholly or substantially Of fc
ton"
This provision would bar fiction
supplements" from the Sunday news
papers It would kin sew ral excellent
magazines devoted entirely to fiction
Under IFS provision NJ. Glider Of the
Century .r Mr.. Allen Of Harper
Magazine would be unable to issue a
midsummer fiction number" of his
uagazin and send it through the
ma Is. The powers legitimately used !
20 prevent indecent prints would be /
nisappied to suppress or to harass
legitimate publications.
Again, il is provided that. NO |
newspapers or part or section Of n
newspap must have advertising to
a greater extent than 80 per cent OF /
its superficial area"
This wogld not only prevent the ar
rangement Of advertisements into sec. I
tons which are so convt nient for
those seeking employment or employ /
as. but il would exclude from the
mails any edition Of newspaper in
which a rush Of late advertising hap
pened TO exceed 50 per cent of The
space
Again: Each part or section Of
4 newspaper must be of the same size. /
form and weight OF papers
What conceivable purpose this pro, /
vision has is apt to prevent supple
ment illustrations from being printed
pom better paper than the hurried !
main sheet, Mr. Penrose can perhaps +.
xplain. And there are many other |
provisions of less public interest. but /
equally Vexatous 10 the publisher
Federal regulation of the arts and /
'ndustr es is just now fashionable. but |
It has its danger. limits. If the post I
'ifiee department. may edit fiction out .
IF our newspapers and magazines. pre- 4
7cribe their size and shape and deter
nine the proportions of reading and 4
advertising matter how long will II I
1e before the blue pencils Of Washing /
ION censOrs may be turned upon the !
editorial criticism of public measures
which is essential in a free republic?
Post Dispatch.