Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-09
PAY UP, OR GET NO PAPER
New Rules by the Post Office De-
partment
Periodicals to Subscribers Far In Ar
rears not Admitted mt Second
Class Rates-Lists Must He
Supported by Money.

Publishing circles will watch with In
terest the developments in connection
with the new postal laws and regulations
pertaining to second-class matter which
became operative Jan. ], 1903, says the
correspondent of the Boston Transcript.
These deal, as the layman may not know.
with newspapers and periodicals: and
for the first time the postoffice depart
ment has officially prescribed what shall
constitute paid subscription list" This
decision is of equal interest to the subs
criber, for the man who here after elects
10 pay for his newspaper or periodical
and finds the publisher has stopped send
Ing 1t to him. may learn the reason In the
revised rules. The department also has
taken by the horns the vexed question OF
the sample copy. and radically revised
the privilege which the publishers
hitherto have enjoyed. particularly In
campaign times. OF sending out sample
copies to an equal amount to one hum
drod per cent of their circulation
The history OF the abuses OF the second
class privilege are not so much the his
tory of Journalism as Of certain publi-
cations issued chiefly for advertising pur-
poses. The second-class rate paid by
publishers is one cent a pound, while the
non publishing public has the right to
mail newspapers and periodicals at the
rate Of four ounces for one cent. one OF
the fundamental requirements OF news
paper applying for the sccond-class rate
is that It shall have n bona fide paid sub
scription list. Years ago Il was possible
to secure the second-class rate for any
reputable newspaper or periodical, proVid-
ing it was issued regularly from known
office OF publication and could show even
n nominal subscription list. As the bus
mess OF the country grew, other puhlica-
tons entered the field. devoted wholly to
promoting certain lines Of business. ana
| 1t is through their operations that the de-
partment has had most Of its troubles
These we're as n rule reputable enough
| in themselves. but by means Of fake sub
scribcrs. FREQ subscriptions and other
questionable devices. they so abused the
second-class privilege that the mails were
| flooded with advertising sheets and the
exnenso 10 the government became bur
| dons some The post office department was
| In frequent litigation with publishers of
| this class; and It was often the comment
Of the courts which tried the cases that
the department had been extremely liberal
| in its allowances OF the sample copy
| privilege. on the other hand the courts
| crticise the department for not deter
mining what should constitute a bona
| fide subscription list. and holding the
heneficiaries of the sccond-class rate to
n strict compliance with It's regulations.
Tho report of the postal commission APP
pointed to investigate the questions at
issue suggested legislation to cover the
main points of contention, but decision
of the attorney general informed the post
office department that It already had au-
| thority, without further legislation,to pre-
scribe regulations governing the sample
copy privilege and establishing a stand
ard for the paid subscription list.
| Mr.. 4. L. Lawshe. third assistant post
master general, has charge OF second
I class mail matters and for long time
has been trying to devise regulations TO
govern the distribution of newspapers
and periodicals. He was a country pub
Usher for several years and knew what
! 1t was to receive pay for his paper In
onions, and he formulated his scheme
with a carefully balanced regard for all
interests concerned. He outlined his plans
we'll in advance in an address before one
OF the leading editorial associations: and
this later was distributed among the
publishers of the country as publ. do
| cuTnenl An enormous amount OF COTTeS-
| pondence has preceded the institution of
the new system, and the department feels
reasonably sure OF It's ,ground In the I'M
portant steps 1t has taken.
| The Rist of the departments ruling Is
Its decision that "A bona fide subscription
list Is paid subscription list. and the
new regulations limit the second-cass
privilege to publications whose subscrip-
tons are not long overdue. 1t was found
that many papers We're carrying subscri-
bers who were six, eight and ten dollars
| in arrears; and It was held by the depart
ment that these we're OF no Legitimate
benefit to the paper itself except to give
II a fictitious circulation, while they were
a serious expense to the government
The right Of a publisher to fix the price
OF his publication. to club with other
papers or to offer premiums, prizes or
commissions for subscriptions Is not
questioned by the department. although
such methods will be taken into account
IN deciding claims. A reasonable time will
he allowed publishers to secure renewals
of subscriptions, but unless they are re-
newcd within certain specified periods
the second-class privilege will be with
ldrawn and the publisher will be compel