The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1908-01-21
Mail Subscribers Must Pay in
Advance.

The United States Postoffice Depart
ment has issued an order, No. GOT,
dated December 4, 1907, amending the
postal regulations. which will here
after compel newspapers to enforce
business principles III their circulation
department and probably reduce the
presS-room waste that has cur some
figure in the recent 80 per cent. ad-
vance in the price of white paper.
The new order is intended to reduce
the volume of second-class mail matter
made up of newspapers and magazines,
which the government now carries at
one cent pound, entailing big an
nual loss to the postoffice department.
L: practically limits the use of the
mails at these cheap postage rates to
papers sent to bona-fde subscribers,
paid in advance, and publishers will
be fined four cents for every pound of
mail sent out in violation of the regU-
lations.
In order that the new rule may not be
harsh in its application, the postOffice
department has provided that reason
able time shall be allowed to publishers
to secure renewals of subscriptions be-
fore cutting off subscribers whose time
has expired or who are in arrears. This
time allowed is fixed at months for
daily papers, for 9 months for semi
weekly papers, and four months for
monthly magazines.
Under the operation of this rule pub
fishers will find an amount equal to the
transient postage rates, four cents a
pound, for every daily newspaper sent
to subscribers over three months in
arrears and for every semi-weekly
newspaper sent TO subscriber nine
months in arrears.
Publishers generally will, we believe,
; be glad that this regulation has been
made by the Postoffice Department, as
it will effectually settle the question
whether mali subscribers should be
cut off at the expiration of their sub
scriptions. In the past it often hap
pened that subscribers who were car
ried over the time for which they had
paid complained because they were not
dis continUei, while others who were
promptly cut off at expiration took Of
Tense and felt that this was an imputa
tion on their honesty or ability to pay.
The new regulation establishes for
/ the future business-Iike custom that
it is fair to publishers and subscribers.
and relieves the matter of all embar-
rassment tn either side.
There is no doubt that the old Gus
tom was abused by publishers and sub
scribers, by the former in sending
papers and bills to people who wished
TO discontinue and by the latter. in ac-
cepting and reading papers andthen
refusing TO ray for the ground that
the subscription had expired.
] In compliance with the new law
we will at once send out bills and
renewal notices to all mail subscribers
who may be in arrears, and hopes to
have prompt responses in order that
there may he no violation on our part.
In the past we have never used
these columns to urge payment of SUBJ
scriptions or arrearages, leaving such
business details to the circulation de-
partment, but we believe the new pos
tai regulations, requiring that all sub
scribers be cut off if nine months in
arrears, on penalty of forfeiture of
second-ciasS postage privileges, justi
fies this explanation, which will be
run in several issues in order that all
onr mail subscribers may understand
the new order of things.