POSTAGE ON BOOKS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15315, 10 September 1920, Page 6

POSTAGE ON BOOKS

A REVISED SCALE

I WELLINGTON, this day. Consequent upon representations from Dominion booksellers and stationers the Postmaster-General, the Hon. J. G. Coates has agreed to revise tho postal tariff on books and magazines. Postage will now be on a basis of Boss for twopence, and one penny addition for each succeeding Bozs. The deputation explained to the Minister that taxation was recognised; the incidence was objected to. Magazines were a medium of wide dissemination of knowledge, and the increased postage had rendered them prohibitive to many former readers, as was evidenced by the eurl ailment; of subscriptions. Tliis class of literature wag an important factor m education. It was pointed out, that whereas the 1 tariff on letters and newspapers had doubled the pre-war rates; on magazines it had quadrupled them.. Mr Coates said he had had the question consiiered by the Postal Department,' with tbe result that a new schedule had been drawn up. By coincidence it agreed exactly with what had been asked. The new scale would mean a considerable reduction m the revenue and loss to the Department. It would be Bozs for twopence; 16ozs, threepence; 24ozs, fourpence; 32ozs, fivepence; etc. Some illustrations were: Cassell's Magazine, recent schedule 2d, revised 2d; Cosmopolitan, 6d to 4d ; Ladies' Home Journal, '8d to sd; Popular Mechanics, 6d to 4d; Pearson's, 4d to 3d: Red Book, 6d to 4_d; Strarfd, 4d to 3d.— Parliamentary Reporter. ' - '• ■';. ,