at publications containing a proportion of only one-sixth of
news-matter may pass at the newspaper rate of postage. As to the second
requirement, a strict interpretation of the regulation is not insisted
on, and, in general, articles, pictures, or drawings relating to any
matters of current or topical interest are accepted.

This lack of precision in the provisions of the Act, and the consequent
difficulty of framing or enforcing regulations restricting the privilege
within even reasonable limits, have been largely taken advantage of,
especially in recent years, by the publishers of trade and fashion
papers, with the result that publications weighing in some cases as much
as 3 pounds are sent through the post at the usual newspaper rate of a
halfpenny. Nor are the enormous weight of these papers, and the large
proportion of advertisement matter, the only objections. The news-matter
on which they rely as entitling them to the newspaper privilege is often
of the most doubtful character, consisting largely of accounts of shop
sales or of commercial exhibitions, with lengthy descriptions of the
articles displayed.

This abuse of the privilege is, however, confined to a comparatively
small proportion of the newspapers entitled to transmission at the
newspaper rate. With the fall in the price of paper, and the
improvements in printing methods and machinery, all newspapers have
tended to increase in size. But in general the increase has been small.
In 1855 the average weight of newspapers passing by post was 3.1
ounces,[303] and in 1913 it had increased to 4.1 ounces. The number of
papers entitled to the privilege which could be regarded as excessively
heavy is not more than about 50 (out of a total of some 2,200),[304] and
although practically all these papers are published in London, and are
largely distributed through the post, they do not form more than a small
proportion of the total number of packets passing by newspaper post. But
such of these publications of vast bulk and weight as are sent at the
newspaper rate derive a great advantage--an advantage measured by the
heavy loss incurred by the Post Office in respect of each such
publication.[305]

Many of the moderately heavy papers, such as the ordinary sixpenny
London newspapers, are for the most part in compliance both with the
letter and the spirit of the regulations, and their transmission at the
1/2d. rate is not, perhaps, open to serious objection. But there ca