Evening journal., 1922-07-31
MONDAY, JULY 81, 1922
DESERVING OF RELIEF

DESERVING OF RELIEF
1T lis to be hoped that Senators Ball and DUPONT an
Representative Layton OF Delaware will be able t
see their way clear to support the Kelly bill. which
aims to relieve newspapers those in Delaware included
from unreasonable charges second-class postage
No county can live and grow without information
highways, In many ways is important to pro
vide the means for the dissemination of intelligence
than for the transportation OF material commodities
For this reason the government has always recog
the necessity postal rates>on newspaper
periodicals. During the however, the publca
the country loaded with increases the
carrying charges the mails. These increases were
provided for revenue bill 1917 and amount
four times the pre-war charges.
While paying this excessive special tax. the pub
fishers have been paying all other taxes OF whatever
kind levied upon industry whole, and have had to
stand and are st suffering under high for labor
paper and other essentials.
1t is significant too this special on the cir
culaon Of publications, is tax on process Of the
industry and the processes. Publishers have
been paying both processes and products
The case is not dissmilar taxation OF travelling
statesmen labor-saving machinery. Indeed the i'd
vertisng pages Of publications may
ing statesmen. foolish and futile make It din
get the orders which the life blood OF in
dustry.
Every interchange OF commodities be preceded
by an interchange OF ideas information proposals
and acceptances and this important function OF our
publications needs support and encouragement this
time build up and restore national prosperity.
We would abhOr the idea OF taxing schools. yet but
per cent Of boys girls go beyond the gram
grades. The rest Of their education must come
reading and yet the present law Is In effect
on this source OF education depended upon b,
49, to aka tbn of he
education
As result Of these exorbitant postal changes pub
fishers have had to subscription rates greatly
soliciting subscriptions OF
country where high postal would make 1t
Improbable still other publishers have tried
to absorb the additional and numbers Of them
have fallen by the waysde in the attempt
In 1918. the Federal collected from the
publishers s11712oss1s andin the fiscal year this
had grown to s254ss7lss4. During the current year
it estimated that the publishers will pay to gov
eminent for carrying their papers the huge OF
sss.oOOoOo.
This too Notwithstanding the that the high rates
have forced Of the mails enormous tonnage Of
newspapers and magazines which now go by express
baggage motor truck freight by for than
Uncle will carry them.
Unfortunately some of the most necessary publica-
lions cannot be shipped in bulk lots and cannot es-
PoStoA
class of papers the business technical papers
going TO retailers factories, and professional men, the
farm papers which raising the standards OF agrcu-
ture the religious papers which promote the spiritual
life country; the fraternai publications which
bind together OF men and women for their com
mon good; educational papers which carry the light
Of new knowledge into the humbest homes and many
others of similar kind.
The burden falls heaviest upon the smaller papers Of
r~ III o,,,ffff -
readers can afford to develop their own systems Of
ira Importation It falls heavily too upon the
who most need the enghtenng force OF good reading.
spite OF all this the publishers most modest
and moderate their appeal All that is asked is the
repeal Of the last those which into
effect 1920 1921 retaining the in effect just
prior 10 these increases
This VIII not affect the system in the least,
neither viii it affect the present free-in-county privilege
enjoyed by the smaller weekiies and dailes.
IN rates asked for in the bill now proposed in Con-
elSs would sim give the government approximately
'0 Per cent more than the pre-war rates. and would
o lensNe tne publishing industry OF one cent Of the
o'ner feoerai taxes now paid by other Industries
mere Is another very important CONFERENCE.-The
special or snper-tsxes which the War Revenu. b,il Inn
posed upon ten other INDUSTRIES -. .,.s -,
taken on or materially reduced Is Il fair that tb r
fishing Industry OF all industries should be ,rg,d t
as the sole exception and compelled to stagger eion
under special war taxes to defray war expenses7
This seems all the unfair when n f. rs..
bered that tho newspapers and periodicals O, tb oo
try ala not the top for pay during IN. va.
that they ala not proteer; that they were in no a,ss
industry. On this contrary they volunteered
and services the value OF millions Of dollars
In a word what the publishers are asking, would
dollars reduction in rates
$4,000 postoce receipts Of
about $500. 900 900.
Furthermore the effect OF lowering the rates would
back into tho malls enough tonnage to largely
compensate for the apparent bookkeeping loss