The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-05-19
MORE NEWSPAPERS IN TROUBLE
Publishers are Up Against the Post
Office Ruling.

AS has been previously stated,
special agents of the postoffice de-
partment are travelling around over
the country dropping into newspaper
offices when least expected to ex-
anime subscription lists, to ascertain
If the regulation requiring payment
OF subscriptions is being observed.
Several Iowa newspapers have been
IN trouble and here is another case
told of by the Des Moines capital:
Editor Fay, of Lyons, Iowa, has
been called to Washington city be-
cause his subscription list is not as
well paid up as the law requires. He
Will have to explain to the govern
ment officials why he has not COM
PEELED his subscribers to pay up ac-
cording to the postal rules. An in
spector had visited him two months
previously and his list was said to
be pretty thoroughly paid up, but
evidently it was not sufficiently so.
1t seems little tough that country
editors have to be hauled up before
the government under the charge of
violating federal laws Just because
they do not eternally keep dunning
'ANiA 'uboSA lOSlo LII tuS Shall SUN
they owe on subscriptions, but it is
like the end of the world, no one
knows when it cometh, and no editor
knows what day an inspector may
pop in and ask to see his list And if
too many subscribers are behind on
their paper it means trouble with the
government 1t puts an editor in
such shape that he is compelled to
force his collections unless he has an
unusual prompt paying list of SUBJ
Scribers
And here is another. The Bee,
newspaper published at Jefferson, has
been jerked up. This is what its edi-
tor says about it:
The Bee this morning received it's
first official summons from the post
office department to conform with
the ruling which requires subscribers
to keep their subscriptions paid up.
We can no longer send the paper to
delinquents, no matter how willing
we may be to accommodate them. We
sometimes question the right of I'm
Gle Sam to interfere in the conduct
of legitimate business, and say we
|shall not extend credit if we wish to,
but whether right or wrong, we must
conform to the regulation. 1t will dis
tress us greatly to cut off a lot of
good and longtime patrons who we
know intend to pay, but are careless
about the matter, and if such really
want the Bee we know they will come
to our assistance and relieve us from
this embarrassment
1t is very dangerous business for
newspaper man to send papers to
subscribers who are more than ~
months in arrears. To be deprived of
the second-class mailing privilege,
which is the penalty for non-compli-
ance with the rulings, puts news
paper out of business, for the ex-
pense of putting a one cent stamp on
every paper mailed amounts to much
more than the profits on the entire
subscription business, to say nothing
|of the increased amount of labor
which would be required in affixing
the stamps
The Reporter is complying strictly
with the postoffice ruling in regard
to delinquent subscribers. Hereafter
each subscriber who will be a year
in arrears will receive a card the
first of the month, showing that their
year of grace will expire that month
and unless the subscription is re-
newed the paper will be stopped We
dislike to do this, but have no option
in the matter. Every subscriber can
tell by examining the yellow tag on
their paper each week just where
their subscription is paid to. When
ever the date gets one year in arrears
the paper will be stopped. Look at
your label and save us the expense
and trouble of sending you a state
ment and avoid the annoyance of be-
ing dunned for your subscription.