The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-02-10
MAGAZINE MEN OPPOSE
Higher POSTAL RATE
House Sets Movement in Motion to
Increase Mail Charge from !
to 2 Cents a Pound.
c. E. CURTIS GIVES FIGURES

A movement was set In motion YES
terday by the House Committee on
Post ofices and Post Roads to increase
the postal rate on magazines carried In
The mails from one cent to two cents a
pound. The indications are that a bin
authorizing the increased rate VIII be
reported and passed by the House It il
estimated that the proposed increased
rate on magazines would yield anywhere
from sio.ooo.ooo to s150oo,ooo additional
revenue.
The post office officials believe that the
magazines should pay more freight"
and majority OF the House committee
appears to be in sympathy with the idea
So far there has been no suggestion
that the penny a pound rate on news
papers shall be increased. In fact, the
daily press, or at least that portion Of It
that is circulated in big cities, will lot
be affected If the committee proceeds
along present lines.
Consideration of the bill TO increase
the magazine mail rate was brought
about as a result OF an agitation for
penny postage. The advocates Of penny
postage argued before the House COM
mittee that If the rates on second-class
mall matter were increased that the
lower rates on letters could be installed
economically. The committee has no
present intention of reporting bill pro-
viding for penny postage. Instead, II
IS the committees purpose to equalize
revenues by increasing the postal rate
on magazines.
The magazines intend to fight the plan
TO increase the mail rates. They were
represented before the committee yes
terday by Cyrus Z. Curtis. president Of
the company that publishes the Saturday
Evening Post and the Ladies Home
Journal. Mr.. Curtis spoke in opposition
80.
increase the magazine mail rate.
Mr. Curtis was questioned at length
concerning the revenues of the Saturday
Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal.
He told the committee that at present
these publications expend about 5000 a
year in mail charges. The amount would
be doubled by an increase in the postal
rate to cents pound. Replying to
questions Mr.. Curtis said that the Post
has a circulation of more than ZOO, 600
copies a week, and the Ladies Home
Journal a circulation of 100000 copies
for each edition. He testified that the
advertising rates of the two publications
was IS an agate line, 5000 for a solid
page in the journal and $500 for a page
in the Post. He was asked il the in
creased cost of living had any relation
to advertising rates
''It is not question of the cost Of liv-
ing" replied Mr.. Curtis. 1T is a ques-
ton of the cost of circulation. As your
circulation increases your costs increase
and naturally yr-Ir prices for advertising
space must increase"
Representative Reilly, of Connecticut, |
wanted TO know IL the Post advertising
rates had not increased more than 100
per cent in the past six years. II think |
not" replied Mr.. Curtis. |
rs il. not a fact,S observed Mr.. Kelly. |
that in 1908 the Republican National |
Committee was given space in the Post |
for $500 a pager
81 think not returned Mr. Curtis |
THE price must have been higher than |
that" |
Members of the committee suggested
that the cost Of magazine advertising |
had something to do with the high cost |
of living. Mr.. Curtis dissented from this |
view, but was not pressed by the COM
mittee on this point.
Chairman Moon, of the committee /
asked a number of questions that in
dicates that he is opposed to considera-
ton Of penny postage at this time, but |
that he believes the magazine mail rate /
should be increased The suggestion also
has been made in committee that it 4
might be a good idea to repeal the law
that gives free postage to newspapers
in the county of publication. This will
be given consideration when the COM
mittee begins work on the bill bearing
on magazine mail rates.