The Washington herald., 1911-02-15

Interest is growing in the fight which
the publishers are making against the in
crease of second-class mail rates as pro-
posed in the rider to the post-office ap-
preparation bill. 1t is expected that the
bill will be called up this week, when
the fight which has been made in the
way of an educational campaign among
Senators will be Transferred to the Sem
ate floor. 1t is already known that
number of Senators will be heard in OPP
position to the increase, and many more
who were supposed to be in favor of the
amendment may be found against it after
they have heard tho arguments and fully
understand the reasons why the PROPOSE
ticn has been brought forward.
What was not heretofore known is the
fact that many interests besides the pro-
prictors of magazines will be injured
The great religious press throughout the
country has been heard from and they
protest in the name of millions OF their
readers. The agricultural periodicals
everywhere. and there are publications of
this class in every State. have informed
their Senators and Representatives that
the proposed increase would be rutnOus.
Then the labor interests engaged in the
work of manufacturing magazines and
periodicals are especially alarmed and
have informed their representatives in
Congress that they arc opposed In the
legislation. Educat tional and industrial
publications have added the weight of
their influence against the amendment
and it becomes apparent 10 Senators that
there is an important interest in all parts
of the country that will be seriously af-
fected by the increase of second-class
rates.
Many PuzZIinE Questions.
Several publications, notably agricul-
tural papers in the West. have asked if
they would be affected by the change.
Senators have tried to find out whether
such publications would be saved by the
4. 900 pound exemption, and they have
learned that almost any periodical that
has a circulation of any considerable
amount cannot possibly escape the in
creased tax. While these particular pub
fishers know that they will be taxed on
weight. they also want to know If they
will be allowed to come in as news
papers. Such questions are puzzling the
Senators as much as the publishers, and
for that reason the opponents OF the
increase claim that the matter should not
he decided in the dying hours of Con-
gress. when it is impossible to secure
information and when the publishers have
had no opportunity to present their case
to a committee OF the Senate, where the
rider originated.
Senator CuIlom Yesterday presented 70
the Senate a telegram giving the text
Of a resolution unanimously adopted at
a meeting OF the Chicago Typographical
Union vigorously protesting against the
proposed amendment.
Publishers Issue Statement.
The publishers yesterday issued a
statement claiming that the mail order
business which is stimulated by maga-
zine advertising virtually saves the
Post-office Departments balance sheet
They assert that the cost TO edit, manu-
facture, deliver, and administer Ameri-
can magazines IS nearly twice as much
as the publishers nets for subscriptions.
The difference made up from advertis-
ing is given to the subscriber in his
opportunity TO purchase a much better
article than his subscription price alone
will produce. The postal committee Of
the Periodical Publishers Association
have obtained the exact figures from
the books Of account Of the five stand
ard monthly magazines which carried
the most advertising in 1909. These fig
uTpS OF 1EOIllS are OH NE Ill the b6-
partment of Commerce and Labor at
Washington. The aggregate final net
profits of these leading standard maga-
zines, Everybody's, McClure's, American.
Cosmopolitan, and Review of Reviews,
are less than one-tenth of the aggregate
income.
The reader, says the statement, gets
the balance. This operation of large
advertising receipts, passed over TO the
reader in the shape ef a better maga-
zine than his subscription money will
make. edit. and deliver, accounts for the
phenomenon of the splendid low-priCed.
widely-rcad American periodicals.
It is also asserted that the proposed
increase would raise less than $500, 900
for the Post-office Department from
which must be subtracted the great new
expense of administering this complex
and discriminatory measure. On the
other hand, it would entirely wipe out
the profits of many periodicals., maga-
zines. agricultural papers. religious
papers. and trade journals. and seriously
cripple the balance.
NAVAL RI0S FAR APART