The sun., 1916-12-22
HIGH POSTAL RATES ON MAGAZINES
AGAINST PUBLIC INTEREST.
Proposed LeshaAsu. II IL Asserted. Will Foster the Spirit Of seeionalsu
Just when There Is Special Need sf National Unity.
From an ednoyss, article I. Essis,.,ins Ssu..

from an e0N 0S1of 0rN
Since the United States first became
a nation the task that has engaged
the hest efforts of its ablest statesmen
has been the development among It's
people OF the spirit Of national unity
In place Of the spirit Of sectionalism.
Probably no other influence has been
80 potent during the half century
since the civil war In tearing down
sectional barriers and eliminating
prejudices and MISUNDERSTANDING be-
tween North and South and East and
West as the circulation Of national
publications. 1t II not often realised
that the development Of these publ
cations Of nationwide scope has been
made possible by the law. enacted
since the civil wdr. which fixed a
uniform postal rate for the whole
United States on all printed matter.
A bill has just been introduced In
Congress an a rider" on the post
Office appropriation bill. which pro-
poses to tax national journals out Of
existence By placing upon all publ
cations a postal rate based on the dis
lance of transmission, as follows: Up
to 900 miles. I cent n pound; 300 to
500 miles. 9 cents: 900 to 1000 miles,
3 cents; 1000 to 1,4O0 miles, I cents:
l.aO0 to 1900 miles. 5 cents. and over
1900 miles. 8 cents. That this tax. II
Imposed. will greatly restrict the cir
culation Of truly national journals
there Is not the slightest doubt.
a great influence has been eXerted
on the national development during
the past half century by the journals
devoted to literature. to science and
the arts. to the professions and the
Industries. Doubtless the Congress
men who framed this bill have no o n
ception Of what It will mean to sub
stitute journals Of n sectional charac-
ter in place Of the national journals
that have been so important "A feature
Of American public life.
II IL only In the journals Of national
circulation that We can expect TO find
public questions discussed from the
broad point Of view Of the nations
interests without regard to the inter-
ests OF any particular locality. Surely
this In too important n matter to be
lightly passed over. Surely the unity
OF the udtlOn IN kOI1ttnlTs WHICH THOSE
In authority at Washington may not
lightly dismiss.
The second class postage question
has often been discussed as IL the only
publications affected were the so-called
trade journals. but they really cut
only a small figure in the whole. To
bring the matter home to engineers
the change proposed in second class
postage rate will mean a very heavy
tax on the circulation of the proceed
inas" OF the various national engineer
Ing societies. This is only typical OF
what will take place in all professions
Take the medical profession for ex-
ample. How important it H. In tho
public interest that the physicians OF
the country shall be informed upon the
latest advances in medical science ms
reported In the med!cn! journals. The
country doctor living west OF the Mis-
sissippl River may find IL too great q
burden 10 pay an extra bill OF perhaps
SO n Year for postage on the medical
Journals to which he suoscribes.
! IL Is not only the men in the pro-