Daily Kennebec Journal

The next phase to be considered is the expense the government incurs in distributing these publications. If there is a deficit and that deficit is due to contracts which are disadvantageous to the government, then the deficit is not chargeable to the publications, but is chargeable to that contract, and if there is a subsidy to anyone, the subsidy is not to the magazines but to the party receiving unfair compensation for the amount of work done under that contract. It appears to us that second-class mail has been charged with causing a deficit which is in reality caused by an unwise contract with the parties who have undertaken the work of transportation. So much for the consideration of second-class mail matter in itself and by itself.

It is admitted that the wide distribution of second-class mail matter creates more mail than any other agent. Every magazine, every newspaper, almost every periodical of every sort and description, devotes a large part of its space to advertising. Obviously it is impossible for any appreciable proportion of any of the readers of any of those periodicals or newspapers to reply to these advertisements by personal visits to the advertiser. The number who can reply to them by telephone or telegraph is inconsiderable. The vast majority reply to them by mail. The large price which advertisers are willing to pay for advertising in magazines, periodicals and newspapers shows that they receive replies to their advertisements. They must receive millions of replies in order to make it profitable to advertise as all up-to-date business houses do advertise. As the majority of advertisers are in a legitimate business and are selling something which is in constant demand it cannot be said that the effect of the advertisement upon the mail ceases with the first purchase of each customer. Business created through advertising rolls on and on as long as the advertisers conduct a legitimate business. As efficient a public servant as third assistant postmaster Lawshe said, "While the rate, considered alone, is a heavily losing one, second-class matter originates a large volume of mail matter of other classes." That might have been amended so as to have fitted the situation a little better, so as to have read, "While the rate, considered alone, and under present contracts with the transportation agents,-" etc.

We are of the opinion that before the cost of second-class matter be increased, the cost to the government of transporting that mail matter should be decreased. We believe that every publication has some educational value. We do not believe that the cost to the people of this education should be increased. Within a few years many magazines which were selling for 10 cents each have increased the price to 15 cents. A further increase would of course be to 20 cents. That is too much for the majority to pay. The same applies to the weekly magazines and to the daily papers.