The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-10
THE POSTAL Law
WHY NEWSPAPERS ARE COM
PEELED TO OBEY 1T.
Must Pay up Every Year
or the Publisher Must Stop Their

SuUSCIlDSI0 = "y Wy ASsSAd ASt~A
or the Publisher Must Stop Their
Paper.
The following taken from the Pub
lisher's Auxiliary, newspaper for
newspaper people, will more fully ex-
plain to our subscribers why 1t is
imperative that The Times and DEM
ocrat discontinue sending the paper
to every subscriber who is six months
or more in arrears on subscription.
The Times and Democrat does not
have many names on its subscription
list that would come under this head,
but there are some. The Times and
Democrat would like to accommodate
all these as long as they feel they
should be accommodated, but the
rule of the postoffice department
must be observed. For the sake OF
accommodation, do not ask us to
carry your name any longer. Come
and make some arrangements about
it.
Special agents of the postoffice de-
partment are travelling around the
country dropping into newspaper Of
fees when least expected to examine
subscription lists to ascertain If the
regulations requiring payment in ad-
vance is being observed. Several
newspapers have been in trouble, and
here is a story told by the Des
Moines Capital:
editor Fay, Of Lyons. Iowa, has
been called to Washington city be-
cause his subscription list is not as
we'll payed up as the law requires.
He will have to explain to the gov
ernment officials why he has not COM
pelled his subscribers to pay up ac-
cording to the postal rules. 1t seems
little tough that country editors
have to be hauled up before the gov
ernment under the charge of violat-
ing the federal laws just because
they do not eternally keep dunning
their subscribers for the small sum
they owe on subscriptions. but 1t Is
like the end of the world; no one
knows when it cometh, and an edi-
tor knoweth not what day the in
spector may pop in and ask to see his
list. And if too many subscribers
are behind on this paper, 1t means
trouble with the government. 1t puts
the editor in such a shape that he Is
compelled to force his subscriptions
unless he has an unusually prompt
paying list of subscribers.
The Bee, newspaper published at
Jefferson has been jerked up. This
Is what the editor said about It:
"The Bee. this morning received
it's first official summons from the
postofflce department to conform
with the ruling which requires the
pay in advance. 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 Uncle Sam to
interfere in the counduct Of our
business and say we shall not ex-
tend credit if we want to, but wheth-
er right or wrong, we must conform
to the regulation. 1t certainly will
distress us greatly to cut off good
and long time patrons who we know
intend to pay, but are careless about
the matter, and If such really want
the Bee, we know that they will
come to our assistance and relieve
US of this embarrassment.
ut is a very dangerous business
for "a newspaper man to send papers
to subscribers who are in arrears.
To be deprived of second class priv
ileges which is the penalty Of non
compliance with the ruling. puts
newspaper out of business, for the
expense Of putting a one cent stamp
on every paper mailed amounts to
more than the profits on the entire
subscription business, to say moth
ing Of the increased amount of labor
which is acquired in affixing the
stamps"
We hope all our subscribers will
enable us to comply with this law
by paying up.