Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-28
Regarding Second Class
Matter Recommended.
Congressional Postal Commits
sion Makes Its Report.
Says That Rates Are Not Fixed Ac.
eording to the Service.

Washington. Jan. 21-The report Of
the joint postal commission authorized
at the last session Of Congress to in
vestigate and report to that body it's
conclusions on the operation and eff
feet of the existing law relative to the
second class mail matter and what
changes. il any. should be made, was
made public today.
The commission makes a number of
sweeping recommendations looking TO
q reform in the posta! service and has
drafted a measure embodying such
changes as it thinks ought to be made.
Among the most important additions
to existing law as regards second class
mail matter embodied in this measure
are the following:
A newspaper or other periodical may
be in part composed of advertisements
which are permanently inserted in. or
attached to the same, but such adVer-
tisements shall not constitute more
than so per cent. of the superficial
area of any issue Of the publication;
nor shall any advertisement be print
ed on card, cloth. or any substance
other than paper nor upon paper or
greater weight than the text Of such
publication.
An issue of Il newspaper or other
periodical may be composed Of parts
or sections, but all such parts or sec
lions shall be made of the same size.
form and weight of paper. and shall.
when taken together, form one COM
plete and identifiable whole. All pro-
visions of law applicable to a news
to each section thereof. With Il regular
issue of newspaper on other periodical
a supplement may be inclosed or folded.
Supplements shall not be printed on
any other substance than paper. nor,
EXCEPT in the case of maps and plans
illustrative of the text. shall be of diff
ferent form from the main body of the
publication. No supplement shall be
composed of or contain advertisements.
but the same shall be confined to mat
ter going to the regular issue and sup
piled in order to complete matter left
incomplete in the main body Of the
publication.
The proposed law refuses the second
class rate to periodical publications
consisting wholly or substantially Of
fiction.
With each issue of Il newspaper or
other periodical the publisher may
mail at the second class rate cf post
age samples Of such issue. but mot To
exceed 10 per centum Of the total num-
Der of the copies of each issue mailed
by him to actual subscribers as the
same appears by a sworn statement of
issue required t" be submitted to the
op<,, tx,. .,f az
The appointment of postal appeals
committee in the poStofiice department
Is provided for, to consist Of TIN r"
members at least one Of y HON shall be-
person who has actual experience in
the conduct of tho publishing business
and AT least one of whom shall nc lr::l.l-
ed in the law and q member of 10 years
standing of the bar of the highest court
Of some state. or territory of the tnitdc
States, or the District of Columbia.
The commission to enter upon its du-
ties on the first o: next July. The object
of this commission is to allow the llo-
prietor or Publisher of any new ~phper
or periodical publication the applica-
ton for the admission of which to tho
second class mail matter had been de
MED by tn, postmaster to appeal 10 il.
Authority is given the postmaster gen
eral to require an opinion Of the COM
mission regarding questions Of law r."
spccting the classification Of mail matter
and the right to admission.
II. in the Judgment Of tie postmaster
general. the class privilege of any publi-
cation should he suspended revoked Or
annulled. he must submit the case by p"-
tition or by information to the commits
sion. Publishers and pr"prirtors arr 10
be given due notice Of application to the
commission and the commission is enl-
powered t. hear the cas-" and render 4
decision. The findings of the commits
sion upon any appeal shall 10 Gral.
The proposed bill provides for the an
pointment of Joint commission Of Con-
gress to investigate the entire postal sys-
tenn.
Continuing. the report saws:
This commission * in accord with TIL
views of the postmaster general that tli2
whole business system of the post scrIicc
should be examined and ovcrhaucd by
set Of expert accountants and stttisti- !
clans to be secured outside tn depart !
ment.
1T is believed that This examination |
=
Congress. 1t involves first Of all the ex-
pendture every year of slI5,000.Nl0 of the |
peoples money. 1t will shortly involve
even more thar that. for at the rate the !
postal service is growing it will not be
many years before the annual cNpendi- !
ture is $3.50 900 or even $500. 00otta. TIL" !
object of this inquiry is not temporary
or provisional one. 1t is an attempt to
get that gigantic enterprise known as the !
postal service organized once for all on
a sound and economical basis. 1t in !
wolves even more than that. 1t involves ,
the way in which the burden of that ire
mendous service is to he adjusted be-
tween the various classes and elements
of the immense public which makes use
of it,"
The commission recommends "the
scheme of progressive reduction CT COM
,;,I to-, 8