The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1916-05-25
DEMANDS HIGHER RATE
ON MAGAZINE POSTAGE

ON MAGAZINE POSTAGE
One cent letter postage is attracting
the attention of congress, so bills call
ing for the Inauguration Of a one cent
rate on local delivery letters having
been introduced.
| Many newspapers throughout the
country are warmly advocating the
lower rate, and the Inauguration of So
called zone system for the transpor-
tatiOn of periodical literature of all
kinds. At the present time the great
bulk of mail being carried distances
under second class rates is furnished by
the magazine publishers Of the large
eastern cities. Train load after train
load of magazines are sent out to all
parts of the country at the cost of Que
cent pound, although it has been es-
timated by postal experts that it costs
over eight cents pound to deliver such
literature.
| This, it is claimed, is manifestly un-
fair to the publishers of newspapers
| in local territories, who are required
to pay the same rate for the transpor-
| tation Of their products. Ii is proposed,
and will become part Of the readjust.
ment of postage rates when such are
made, that zone system be tablished
so that certain rate shall be charged
for all classes of publication for the
first fifty miles, another for SO to $50
miles, another for $50 to 800 miles, and
SO up to haul which would be required
to pay the government what it actually
costs to transport their product.
Under the present rate the United
States mails transport such magazines
as Leslie's an average of 1000 miles at
the same rate they would charge news
paper for the average haul of fifty miles
This means a large subsidy for Leslie s
Weekly, amounting to about 100000
per annum. Some of the other maya.
zines. having much larger circulation,
benefit to a much greater degree. When
it is considered that Leslie's Weekly
charges over $1,000 per page per single
issue for it's advertising space, and
that one half or more of the periodical
is taken up with advertising, it hardly
seems fair to users of letter postage
and to newspaper publishers that they
should pay the government profit of
100 per cent, when none OF it is used
to defrav general expenses of the de-
partment, but goes instead to take care
of the deficit created by the loss in
cured i'll distributing these magazines
at l cent pound, rate which is al
most franking privilege.
Newspapers which should properly
represent the territory i'll which they
are published, and carry the ADVERTISE
ments of products in their territories
are seldom considered nowadays in the
distribution Of big advertising appro
priations. The money goes rather to
huge magazine corporations which are
growing fabulously rich, and which pay
only fraction of the cost to the gov
ernment for the services furnished
them.
The reason one large magazine bust
ness is paying profits may be noted III
the case of three trade publications
controlled by it. The actual value of
these publications is about 5000, 900,
vet, owing to advantages given by the
sccond-class rate and the resultant in
crease in their advertising, they We're
recently sold for $l,5OO,O 900. 1t is de-
, rlared that upon it's latter valuation
they paid a stock dividend of 80 per
I cent.
F When it is realized that the pub
fishers of newspapers III the smaller
towns and cities scarcely more than
break even and make a living for their
/, publications, is it not fair that the
, government should collect from these
, huge corporations the cost of service
, .ntailed! This remarkable condition of
, affairs has been revealed by investiga'
tions which have been made by the Ma
tional One Cent Letter Postage Asso
| ciaticn with headquarters at Clere
i. lane, Ohio. This association is seek
E ing to secure a one cent letter rate ard
a reimbursement of charges made or thu
carving of seconlc'ass mail which Is
, very largely furnished by the big mag
azine publishers.
r 1t is pointed out that f a zone svs
!. tenn were to be applied, the rate OF
r letter postage could be lowered, the ad
y vertising placed in the local newspaper:
where it belongs, and the big magazines
. required to share some of their fancy
. profits with the government, which il
now carrying their product at loss es
4 timated at over $4,000, 900 per year, TO
Q at the present time the department Ii
losing over $75,OOO,00O per year Oh per
iodical mail, which is offset by prof
. of more than that amount from lette
mail.
2, ppEpAREnNESS MEASURE