Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1907-06-22
MAIL ORDER JOURNALS.
Postal Department Puts the Screws on
Two al "Nominai" r ate.

Two al 'NomInai h ate.
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 wi2.' circula-
ton. These two moltllie5 published
from western city. hsl combined
circulated at 10 cents yrlr. which
rate Mr.. Cortclyou hcl to bc merely
'nominal' The postmaster general
also held that the p"blications were
primarily advertising sheets.
Ii is understood that the poitotlice
department. is after several CtNCr pub
IcationS with merely nom.u4l SlhScrip
ton rates. and more will be heard very
probably about this matter Meanwhile
the publisher of the two cxcln led peri
olIcals is threatening dire vengeance
against Mr.. Cortelyou and other otii-
cialS who. according to this publisher,
robbed the people of their favorite
papers"
This incident is mentioned here Just
t. call attention to the recent remark
able growth of the so called mail or
der papers. OF lHtr years Il s,urpviS-
inE number of cheap. tlinSy, i'll edited
sheets has been sent broadcast, reach
ing every village, crossroads and rural
delivery farmhouse in the country.
a nf ,,I,
of course, IS to carry advertisements
from the mail order houses anI not to
disseminate interesting reading mat
ter. The fact that the publications do
print some reading matter and are os-
tcnSlbly newspapers or magazines gives
them access to the mails at second
class rates, and in order to attain the
largest circulation poSsif lr they place
their subscription rates il t us low as
they dare.
The few pennies charged for such
publications are paid ch 'c,'ully by nj
most anybody to whom the .er is
presented. AS a conSc .ucIcn the ad-
vcrtiSementS of the big NAL order
houses in Chicago and other large
cities, Chicago being practically the ma
tional capital of such hou ;e,. are read
by millions of people. ThH' e u lyertiSc-
mcntS penetrate to the rrMOtpSt by
ways Of the land. The tp-TnSman who
takes his local weekly paper also takes
one or more of these monthly tea ccnt-
C"S. U2.ally the l2ail or .c.' periodical
is published under Il title having Il Spe
ciaI appeal to women. 1t i; the wom-
Ell, as a r;Ilc 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 plcaseS them. The local
storckcepcrs in all probability keep the
same grade of article or some Nag just
rs good at about the same figure.
But, whether the mail ortcr buyer
g'tS Il bargain or a dtSrrpo;utment he
or she is sending money ont of the
community which ncycr comes back
The dollar mailed from MiIIvi!lc, Mo.
to Chicago is Il gone GDSling 1t never
comes back t. circulate around Mill
vile ana make CAD the hearts of the
people. One dollar gone ;iStray and
lost in the vortex OF the great city
wont hurt Millville much. E~t - Il u
hundred or more of M.iivi,lc'., citizen,
and the farmers who I've around Mill
vile send many dollars each in the
course of tie year II ct l)+t in the
shuttle afr OF Mllyil,c is going to be
..urt 50 that the toWl VII feel it
Thousands of rural C)mm"MticS in the
Tnitcl States have boon badly hurt in
late years by this sa3ping Of cash
through mail ore crS
TO hold your home trade or to build
it up, in the opinion of one who has
studied the situation, the most impOr.
tlut Thing to do now i; to compete with
tie mail order journals. 1t is obvious
that in order to do 50 yOu must meet
advertisement with advertisement Lo-
cal merchants who carry well assorted
stocks and find many kinds of goods
lying on 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 n mail order Journal also takes
The local newspaper Your local news
paper is your best weapon of defense
in this direction.