Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-05-18
OPPOSE INCREASE
ON POSTAGE RATES
SECTION REFERRING TO NEWS
PAPERS IS LIKELY TO BE
MODIFIED.
TO REACH VOTE THIS Week

Newspaper Men in Great Numbers
Strongly Protest With Effect
Many Other Protests Are Made tC
Different Sections.
Washington Opponents of Tho
Ways and Means Committees proposal
to greatly increase postal rates on
newspapers and magazines showed
such strength during debate on thu
war tax bill that il appeared likely
the postal section of the measure
would be one Of the few TO be mater
tally modified before passage
The attack brought the first delee'
ton from the ranks OF the committee
itself which had approved the bill un.
animously and whose members OF both
parties have consistently urged its
passage unamenacd Just before ad-
ioulnmeut Representative Sloan, q Re.
publican committeeman told the
House that while he would stand be.
hind every ether provision In III"
measure. he could not support a pos
tai increase amounting TO a punitive
expedition against newspapers aud
magazines
Representatives Madden, OF Illinois
aud Mccormick Of llinoi, Meeker
of Missouri Republicans and Moon.
OF Tennessee. Democrat ard chairman
Of the postal committee joined in the
attack, which proceeded while large
delegation Of publishers was telling
the Senate Finance Committee that
enactment would force many publica.
tious out OF business
Debate Near Close
General debate IN the House closed
AZ { o'clock Tuesday Hid the hill prob.
ably will be- brought 10 final vote b.
fore the end OF the week The com.
miitte hopes 70 put through most OF
its proposals without important
amendment for the opposition has
scattered IT'S tire against many indi'
vdual sections and has developed 4
concerted attack on only few OF
them When The measure goes over
to the Senate however mauy changes
are expected
Representative Longworth Repuh-
lean. made long defense Of the bill
FOR the committee reiteratiHg that
while there were some inequalities
passage was necessary to give the
needed war revenue He declared p
per cent OF the taxes proposed would
fall upon the wealthy or those Of
moderate means
Representative Meeker predicted
thar enactment " the proposed postal
increases would mean the end OF VA.
tioual circulation Tor daily papers and
Representative Madden attacked the
new rate schedule as the most unjust
tax ever imposed by Government
Chairman Moon presented two amend
ments TO cut down the proposed rates
Representative Mccormick suggest.
ed that the whole schedule should be
rewritten so that the leyies would fall
on publications in proportion TO their
incomes
Representative McMormick also
criticised the income tax section Of
the bill aud declared the proposed ex
cess profits taxes were oppressive and
unjust Tie predicted that the measure
as a whole would work unreasonable
harm 10 industry
Senate Hearing.
Spokesman for newspapers and pc
riodicals large and small and from
all parts " the country appeared be-
fore the Senate Finance Committee
10 attack as unreasonable and conts.
catory the wsr revenue bill provision
which would create zone system
with greatly increased rates for sec.
ond class mail matter They declared
n the measure went into effect many
publications would be compelled TO
suspend
Don c Seitz. OF The New York
World. representing the American
Publishers Association,
said the proposed increase was not .
war tax but an effort to further re
press and embarrass the newspaper
industry" He told the committee
there already had been big slump
In business which II II continued.
would paralyze the newspapers. The
publishers. he added, were not seek.
ing special favors, but wanted to be
placed on the same level with people
engaged in other business.
Arthur Dunn. speaking for the
smaller newspapers of the country
said they could not stand the increase
In postal rates with the increased cos
OF print paper. and that many would
be compelled TO go out ot business II
Al an ...,. anRA,nA