Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-11-25
INCREASED POSTAGE RATES.

Those newspapers which are endorsing
the Hitchcock plan Of charging increased
postage for the advertising part of the
magazines are only digging their own
graves. for they will be the next sufferers.
This Republican administration proposes
to save at the spigot by advocating in
creased postage on second-class mail mat
ter and a reduction on first-class mail
from two cents to one cent for letters,
while wasting millions at the bunghole.
But very few people have been benefited
by the decreased postage on foreign letters
from five cents to two cents. the banks and
importers being the principal benefciaries
of the decrease. Comparatively few Anne
ricans write TO or receive letters from
foreign lands, so the reduction in postage
is for the benefit Of the few at the expense
Of the many who pay by far the most fed
eral taxes in proportion to their incomes.
To increase the postage on magazines
will be likely TO force the ten cent mag
azines to increase the price to fifteen cents
per copy, and the yearly subscription price
will be increased from one dollar to one
dollar and fifty cents or even to two dol
lars. There again those with small in
comes will suffer.
While millions are annually wasted on
extravaeant appropriations for the army
and navy; for expensive commissions for
nd hot fOR rAatA
attorneys to investigate corporations by
the Department of Justice. which has
never resulted in one malefactor Of great
wealth being put behind the bars, the
saving by the Postofice Department is a
mere flea bite. The evolution Of the deter
mination to make the postal service self
sustaining should be a lesson to newspaper
proprietors.
The so-called reform began by refusing
the cent pound rate to what the depart
ment in its 1908 report called trashy
publications. issued principally for adver-
Using purposes" There was not much
objection to that but it was just the open
ing wedge. for the next reform was to cur
tail the issue Of sample copies the next
to cut off the giving of credit for subscrip-
tons. Now the next reform is TO charge
extra rates for the advertising pages Of
magazines.
All this. however. is but preliminary to
the real object, which is to cut off the free
postage on the weekly newspapers within
the county where published, and to increase
the secOnd-class rate from one cent pound
to something near what the department
declares is the approximate cost. that is,
8 2-3 cents a pound. Why it costs so en-
Omously to carry second-class mail will
not be considered at this time, but it is
evident that there must be great waste
somewhere; for the express companies,
which are notorious extortionists, do not
average such high rates. and they call for
and deliver parcels free TO their patrons in
the larger cities.
1t is Of importance to newspaper pub
fishers to investigate this proposed increase
on the postage Of magazines, for there is
no reason why the Sunday papers. at least
should not be dealt with in the same man.
ner. But the metropolitan papers are am
ply able. as are most of the magazines, to
take care of their own interests. and it is
the smaller dailies and the weekly news
papers which must be prepared for higher
postage rates in the near future unless
they take the necessary steps to protect
their interests.
If postage rates on magazines and news
papers are increased. the publishers must
increase the price Of their publications
and the public will have to pay the bill.