The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-04-10
THE LAW AS TO NEWSPAPERS

A great many people are misinformed in reference to
the law in regard to accepting a newspaper sent to a per-
son through the mail. Many people believe that if a paper
is sent to a person after the subscription has expired that
he is under no legal obligation to pay for the paper.
Now this is a mistake Of law as we'll as of morality.
The mailing of a newspaper, addressed to a person, by the
publisher, constitutes an offer OF the paper for sale. The
taking of the paper out of the postoffice by the person to
whom it is addressed and the reading OF the same by him,
constitutes the acceptance of the offer, implying the obi
cation Of the person receiving and accepting the same to
pay for the paper at the publishers rates of subscription,
and this implied offer of sale and the implied acceptance
occurs at each and every delivery OF the paper. 1t is not
much trouble to order a paper discontinued, either ver-
bally or by mail.
A person receiving a paper which he has not ordered,
and which is not marked sample copy" should refuse to
take the same from the postmaster. He should call the at
tentlon OF the postmaster to the fact of his refusal by
handing the paper to him. The postmaster will notify the
paper at once. If the first refusal is not effective, refuse
it the next time it comes and continue to refuse it until it
stops. The paper will stop in a couple Of weeks, you can
be assured. If you owe any on back subscription, remit
for the same. That is square both with the publisher and
yourself.
The Herald is never offended when a person stops his
subscription and would much rather have the subscriber
refuse the paper than to refuse payment after the paper
has been delivered. The Herald, in case of refusal, takes
the name off from its list, only asking the subscrib-
er to pay up any arrears at the time they refuse or order it
discontinued. While we like to have every reader pos
s1ble and don't like to part with one, yet we think the pa
per is worth the money to any one and we do not care to
send 1t out unless the reader in good faith wants and in
tends to pay for it.
Many people have confused the postal regulations
with the law governing obligations in regard to accepting
papers. This is a mistake. The p~ostofice can, if it sees
refuse to deliver unpaid or arrear subscriptions, thus
forcing the publisher to cut them off the list, but that is a
matter in the discretion of the postmaster and the pub
Usher and does not have anything to do with the obIiga-
ton of the subscriber to pay for the paper. This regula-
ton is to prevent the use Of the mails to papers that are
published for advertising purposes only which are circu-
lated entirely free and is used to prevent the use of the
mailing privilege in bad faith. It has nothing to do with
obligation of a receiver of a paper to pay for the same
the same is delivered. So if you are getting a paper
hat you don't want and don't want to pay for, It is up to
you to refuse it. The Herald never sends out a paper I'M
ess it is ordered either by the party to whom the paper
S sent or by someone else, excepting occasional sample
copies for which no pay is asked. Gratis copies sent in
eturn for service are specially marked. The key number ,
ion is paid-Adapted from Producers News.