Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-26
ExCrSSIvE MAIL RATES.


blow at tho publishers OF tho country
In an enormous Increase In tho rates
for transportation OF newspapers and
magazines through the mails. There
had been a substantial increase pre-
vlously. following tho division OF the
country into zone districts. with rates
npportlonod In a measure TO the dis |
TANGO transported. hut the war rates
made rebid advances.
A hin IL now pending in Congress
providing for reduction 81 postal
rates ON newspapers and magazines
Co the following figures: For tho frs,
and second zones, ~ cents per pound
thlrd. cents; fourth. 3 cents. nth.
ava cents. sixth. 4 cents; seventh.
cunts. eighth, bis cents.
Tho prevailing rates Ore "a follows
first and second zones. z cents per
pound: third. 2 cents; fourth. cents;
NTH, 6 cents; sixth. 7 cents; seventh.
. cents. eighth. 10 cents. Also. there IS
provision requiring publishers TO
differen,iate. each day. between the
amount Of their issues devoted to ad-
vcr,islng and reading matter. that por-
tion containing the latter being sub
SOC, to rate Of "a cents rer pound.
and the advertising portion to tho full
rate. Here In q slight saving which.
however. IL no compensation for the
trouble involved In tho differentiation.
Tho prevailing rates arc onerou,.
They have increased tho mail pay
n,ens. by newspapers and periodicals
nom sIi.7i2. ces.ls in she year 1918,
80 s2s.%ee.7ia.e4 during the ,scal year
ended June 80. 1921. For the fiscal
yrar ended last juno 80. the receipts,
ID 4. estimated. Will amount TO fully
ssa.ooo.o 900.
THIS Is an enormous increase IN one
Ito m 81 The publishing business. and
4, VIII not hc denied that Il Is an I'm
position. The rates contained IN the
pending measure Of reduction would
afford a revenue AZ least l7S per cent
more than that derived from the pre-
war rates. and this should be suf.
nciont increase. The gross reduction
OF revenue under the proposed Nnl, as
compared with present revenues
would I've about 100000 a year. bu
there Is little douo, that IN shor
time this reduction would be over
come BY the increased use of mail
which thc reduced rates would en-
courage and soon lead 20.
Tho rresen, exoreltant rates are no
only AN injustice TO the publishers
but TO tho people. Tho burden fall
mos, heavily upon the smaller publ
cations. which reach many classes nc
served by the larger papers and tn
hirh-prlced magazines. and thus IN
heavy portal cos. opeN,es TO reduc
the field served by these smaller pub
licatlons. and the people thcrehy ar
deprived OF reading matter which the
desire.
But the most important and N
mos; reasonable argument for a redu,
ton OF these heavy rates 90 postap
imposed upon publications Is that tn,
are unfair. even unjust. The pull
fishers have ohcerfuliy withstood n
imposition un,il they believed the tin
has come TO protest. They have boz
subjected 20 two increases IN the Ia
i've years. since the fret general a.
vance WAS ordered by the law OF 1sl
these additions coming in 1920 al
AF-Af W INV 10y nm III ei4o F'is
ms measure lie the abolition OF the
two increases. This reduction wou
leave the rates far in advance Of tho
which prevailed previous 70 the war
Another point OF view from viii
the proposed reduction may be urg
II presented In an editorial by {
Peoples Popular Monthly. as follow
With practically no exception,
war taxes have been removed from
other lines Of industry. But ths
publishing business. Ia paying al
the usual forms OF taxation, which
other lines Of business pay. and II
addition, IL paying this enormous
special tax. Not only has thi
special war tax been retained OF
pssllca ,sonx. hue IL wss heavily in