The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-07-14
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


The U. S. Tobacco Journal some time
ago carried editorially a discussion of
the postal rates on newspapers and
periodicals, pointing out the injustice
suffered by the trade through the re-
tention of wartime postage rates on
that type of publications. ''The pres
ent postage rates on newspapers and
publications were fixed in the war rev.
enue law passed in 1917, and are 325
per cent higher than pre-war rates.
Every one of the items carried in that
measure, with the exception of the tax
on second class mail matter, has been
modified or repealed. These wartime
postage increases have driven millions
of pounds of second class matter from
the mail into private channels of dis
tribution. There is something radically
wrong when private companies can
make handsome profit at rates less
than those charged in postage We be-
lieve there is no good reason why the
publishers of newspapers and maga-
zines should be singled out to pay this
extra war tax, says the Journal. The
M. Clyde Kelly bill now before the
House of Representatives aims TO rem
edy this injustice, at least in part. The
Kelly bill, if passed, would reduce the
present rate, but still leave the rates
on publications IT'S per cent higher than
the rates that were in force previously
to the war. With this reduced rate the
publications in question would still con-
tinue to pay their other federal taxes.
That the Kelly bill merits the support,
not only of the publishing industry, but
also of the public, is the opinion of the
Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter. Aside
from the fact that the rate provided in
the proposed bill is sufficiently high,
the smaller newspapers are continually
furnishing the government free space.
Especially is this true of the Post Of
flee department. There is hardly week
passing by but that the Post Office de-
partment, either through its local office
in the town where the paper is pub
lished or directly from the federal de-
partment, is requesting publication of
matter, and always free of charge.
The space thus given gratuitously
through the year is in itself no small
contribution to the publicity section of
the postal department. While the local
newspapers always and cheerfully rem
der this service, they should not on top
of it be penalized in the regular post
age rates beyond the rates borne by
other industries. We agree with the
U. S. Tobacco Journal when it says:
'sThe newspapers and other periodicals
are the very fountain source of first
class and fourth class mail. They also
perform an invaluable service in freely
carrying messages of the Post Office
and other departments of the govern
ment directly to the people. They are
really selling agents for the govern
ment but they get no commission on
their sales. 1t is a common-sense pol
| icy to give them advantageous rates in
| the mall That the publishers Of
newspapers and periodicals are in need
of relief from this discriminatory war
tax no one better knows than the pub
fishers themselves. .tThe fact that
these high rates are charged on the ad-
vertising pages does not lessen the in
| Justice. Advertising is not merchan-
disc but information. The newspapers
are information highways just as es-
sential tONthe business prosperity of
the country as the highways and water
ways. Not sale can be made or a
pound of goods shipped without the in
| terchange of information. The adver-
tisements are chronicles of every ad-
vance in industrial achievement. With
out them publication of newspapers and
magazines would be impossible. =
***
| The idea carried in the minds of many
that it is only the growers of tobacco
who have suffered in the decline of
| prices is corrected by the report pub
lished by the Department of Commerce
covering the ten months previous to
| April of the present year. This report
Estates that both import and export of
/ tODdCNO, OOtu ICd1 dllQ AdllQ1dCtQIGQ GQ
| tobaccos, have declined in volume as
compared with the previous ten month
period. While this decline in quantity
is considerable. the decline in value is
even more marked. Export and import
values declined 1O2 million dollars. Our
export of leaf, for instance, in the per-
! iod fell in volume from about 410 mil
lion pounds to about $50 million pounds,
while the value of this export fell from
204 million dollars to about 1876 million
dollars. The proportion of decline in
values is about the same also for man.
ufactured tobaccos, such as cigarettes,
cigars, smoking and plug tobacco. The
report is a clear indication of the read
justment taking place all over the
world, and the general losses which are
taken along the whole line on material
| bought in the imitation period during
and Immediately after the war. This
readjustment to lower level of values
is, on the other hand, no Indication of