Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-02-14
KILLING THE MAGAZINES.
Do you like to read magazines7

N 1870
the profit and pleasure of reading
the articles by the leading writer's
of the day7
Do you consider these periodicals
a real necessity for your freside7
All these questions are brought
out as the result of the agitation
that is now on against the maya
zines of the country. There seems
to be a determined effort to throt-
tie these publications SO as to bar
them from as many homes as posi-
bic.
More than a year ago 1t was pro-
posed to increase the postage on all
magazines, as n Of the steps to be
taken to eliminate the deficit In the
~postoffice department. 1t was de-
clared that as the magazines made
up u 6lcdt JUN vi Iu6 HAL anu W6IG
carried such q great distance that
they should be forced to pay a large
percentage Of the postal rates. The
plan was to increase the rate par
ticularly on the advertising section
of the magazines, thus putting a di-
rect tax on the prosperous ones,
while those containing little adver-
Using and having a small circulation
We're to remain the same as at
present.
1t was seen at once that to put
this tax on the magazines. In the
way of increased postage, would
practically bar these publications
from the malls, as their large circu-
Iations have been built up because
of their small price, which was made
possible by the postal facilities. 1t
is evident, therefore, that should the
postage be materially increased,
thse magazines would either have to
greatly increase the price, quit the
mails entirely, or go out of business.
When the people realized that they
were likely to lose this great at
traction In their homes, there was
great objection and the agitation
for the postage increase was appar-
emily dropped.
Now, without any warning and
without giving the magazine owners
a chance to be heard, President Taft,
last week. tent for Senators Crane
and Carter and for Vice President
Sherman and demanded that the
assault upon the magazines be made
at once. The ~postofice committee
obeyed the orders and In a most star
chamber-like manner, tackled a
clause onto the p~ostoface appropria-
ton bill providing for ths Increase
IN postage on magazines
In an interview on this proposed
raise in the postal rates for the adj
vertising sections of magazines, Gov
ernor Woodrow Wilson says:
sit must be that those who are
this change OF rates do not
comprehend the effect 1t would have. |
A tax upon the business of the more
widely circulated magazines and per-
iodicals would be a tax upon their
means of living and performing their
functions.
They obtain their circulation by
their direct appeal to the popular
thought. Their circulation attracts
advertisers. Their advertisements
enable them to pay their writer's and
to enlarge their enterprise and In
luence.
This proposed new postal rate
would be a direct tax, and a very
serious one, upon the formation and
expression of opinion-its more de-
liberate formation and expression
just at q time when opinion Is con-
corning itself actively and effective
ly with the deepest problems of II
politics and our social life.
TO make such a change now,
whatever its intentions in the minds
of those who propose it, would be
to attack and embarrass the free.
processes of opinion.
Surely sober second thought will
prevent any such mischievous blum
der"
There is reason to believe that
the government has something more
than overcoming the postofice de-
ficit In mind when 1t takes up this
war on magazines. We are not I'M
mindful of the fact that the maya
zines have been the leaders In laying
before the people the truth Of show
ing how the private interests have
been running things about to suit
themselves. The reactionaries have
named 1t undertaking" but no
matter what it may be called, these
many articles on the Standard Oil.
Ballingerism, Wall Street, The
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