The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-01-13
WILL ENFORCE LAW.
Special Agents of the Postoffice De-
partment Inspecting Iowa News
papers LISTS

The Corning Free Press says it |
will be remembered that about two
years ago the poStoffice department
made ruling that all subscriptions
to a weekly newspaper must be paid
within year of the time of the ex-
piration, or in other words a news
paper could be sent to the subscriber
for only one year after the expiration
of the time for which the newspaper
was paid.
AT the time the new ruling was an
nounced the Free Press complained of
the position the post Office had taken
in the matter of assuming the man
agement of the affairs of the news
papers in saying they could not ex-
tend credit, but our complaint had.
no weight with the department. We
said it was a ruling, and ruling of
the department was the same as a
law, and it was our intention to live
up to the law. We notified our read
ers, and all who were in arrears more
than one year were especially noti-
fled of the ruling and what was ex-
pected of us. Nearly all arranged
for adjustment of their accounts and
a few who did not had their sub
scriptions discontinued. At the same
time we said it was something which
we had no control. We appreciate
the prompt manner in which nearly
all our patrons met the ruling.
When the ruling was made nearly
all paid a year in advance and
those who have not paid since are
now about a year in arrears
By some it was thought the ruling
would not be enforced by the news
papers and that the department
would pay no attention to it. But
larger per cent of our readers who
expressed themselves on the question
said the ruling was good one;
especially was it a good thing for the
reason that many cheap papers were
being sent them that they never or
dered and the new ruling would put
a stop to the cheap publications.
They realized that the country week
ly would also be caught, but they
could arrange for handling the home
paper much better than the foreign
one that was being sent them year
after year, largely because their sub
scription being beneficial to the pub
LEGATION for advertising purposes.
But after few years these persons
getting foreign papers would be call
ed upon for the payment of the sub
scription.
1t was this kind of publications
the department had in mind when
they made the ruling ra her than
the legitimate country weekly, but in
making the ruling they could not
discriminate and the country week
ly was caught in the drag net. There
are many subscribers whose account
is good for many times the amount
OF the years subscription, but like the
coon to the Missourian they all look
alike to the postoffice department.
From the Denison Bulletin it ap-
pears representative of the post
office department has been in that
place checking up the newspaper ac-
| counts OF that office. In speaking of
| the appearance of the representative
OF the department, the Bulletin says:
| Inc postoffice departments spec
lal agent who was in Denison last
week checking up the newspapers to
see how the lists were lining up with
| the new law found nearly 1900 of the
| Bulletins subscriptions paid up to
within the requirements, and the rest
| were not back far enough to be OBJ
| jectionable 1t is needless to say he
found some other Denison papers up
against it on large proportion of
! their lists, and the postoffice depart
ment at Washington probably now
has his report and is getting ready
to make the Denison newspapers
howl.
In the meantime, now, all who
| tho P1111ntir,
1 on subscription will necessarily have
to be notified, and we will have tc
have their renewals of subscription
or comply with Uncle Sans rules
and cut them off the list.
1T is needless for us to say the
rule is unjust and discriminating
against the newspapers as a class
We maintain yet that it should be
| none of the government business
! how long we carry good men on oul
list before making them pay up, sc
long as they are real subscribers who
take the paper because they want it
But this paper isn't big enough tc
carry the matter up to test in the
courts, and we are therefore going tc
get right with the department the
first thing"
This is not the first instance where
an inspector has appeared. At the
meeting of the Southern Iowa Press
association at Charlton, two of the
members told of having been visited
| by a representative Of the depart.
ment who came for the purpose OF
checking over their subscription
books and seeing that they were com.
| plying with the ruling, and these
publishers were told by the inspec.
| tor that they woulu have to come
| within the bounds of the ruling, and
that within a reasonable time II
must be remembered that this is a
big country and there are severa,
| thousand publications using the sec.
ond-class privilege and it is no won.
der the department is slow in getting
| around.
Let us suggest that you look al
the date after your name on your
paper and see if you are one year in
arrears, or about one year, that you
take the matter of payment up al
| one. We would appreciate it if YOU