Evening star., 1918-05-30
. SEEK KT0POSTPONE
NEW POSTAL RATE
Asked by Publishers in Case
They Are Unable to Ob-
tain Notifications.
GLASS ANSWERS KITCHlN

Strong efforts will be made to have
the new revenue bill carry an amend,
ment to the existing war revenue act
postponing or modifying the increased
postal rates on second-class mail mat
ter and the zone system, which is
scheduled to go into effect July l.
At a conference yesterday afternoon
between representatives of publish
ers' associations and labor leaders
and the New York delegation in Con-
gress suspension of the zone system
of increased second-class postage
rates until a year after the war was
urged.
Frank P. Glass. president of the
American Newspaper Publishers As
sociation, last night issued state
ment denying fatty and emphatically
the charge made in the House Tues
day that a publishers lobby had been
responsible for the decision of the
administration that revenue legisla-
tion should be enacted at the present
session of Congress
Would Defeat the Purpose.
John Adams Thayer. representing
the Periodical Publishers Associa-
tion. at the conference with the New
York delegation. declared that unless
the zone plan was repealed or post
poned it would defeat the purpose
for which it was intended. to raise
more revenue, because it would put
thousands of magazines. periodicals
and farm papers out of business, and
1t would merely increase the subscrip
tion price of those that remained in
the field.
He presented memorial signed by the
editors of the principal American per-
todicals against the zone plan. Frank
Morrison. secretary OF the American
Federation of Labor. and Jesse II. Neal.
representing some 200 trade, technical
and scientific papers of New York, were
others who denounced the zone system,
eaying that it would destroy many pub
lications and injure others.
Mr.. Neal said that in the Chicago dis
trict alone the space given free by the
periodicals for the last liberty loan was
worth $4,000. ooo He added that the
total additional revenue which the zone
system would give for the entire country
would be only s4.00o,O0o-
Aid to Canadian Publishers.
John A. Sleicher of New York told
the delegation how the zone system
would embarrass his publications. and
CndTleS Johnson fOSl, UlTcClOF ol luc
Publishers Advisory Board. repre-
senting publications having total
of 35,000.000 copies an issue. said the
zone system would give preferential
treatment to Canadian publishers in
the fields west of the Mississippi river.
Mr.. Glass, in his statement replying
to Mr.. kitchin. said:
The newspapers of the country
have not maintained lobby here.
The American Newspaper Publishers,
for which I may speak. did not rec
oncile the differences among it's men,
bers on this second-class postage op-
i then appointed a committee of rep
resentative publishers to come here
and to work for relief. A number
came early in this month and left
after a few days.
That committee went openly to
the Senate, where a post office ap-
preparation bill was pending, and
obtained open hearings from the post
ONCE committee. when they present.
ed their arguments frankly and
forcefully in the presence of the first
assistant postmaster general.
They made a plea, either for
amendment of the new law so that
1t would be just, fair and workable,
or in case there was not time for in
vestigation before July l for a sus-
pension of the law until such a new
made a favorable impression upon
that committee and I believe that the
Senate is willing today to undo the
injustice for which the chairman of
the Senate committee on finance, Mr..
Simmons. made a sort of apology last
fall when he made the conference
committee report.