that in the existing state of the Dominion, owing
to the presence of a certain amount of sectional feeling and mutual
hostility between different portions of the country, which could be
attributed largely to the lack of that sort of information which
newspapers could provide, it would be folly to hinder the freest
possible distribution.[316] Moreover, a postage charge would fall
unequally. The large towns and thickly populated areas would be able to
obtain their papers by means of the railroad or other agency at little
cost; but the outlying districts, which ought to be treated with special
favour by the Legislature, would have no alternative to the payment of
postage. The large newspapers would be able to distribute their issues
by express, while the smaller ones would be compelled to use the post.
The "tax" would yield only some $25,000 a year in Nova Scotia; and for
such a paltry sum it surely could not be wise to levy this "tax upon
knowledge," which "of all the heavy burdens laid upon Nova Scotia was
the most oppressive."[317]

These arguments were ineffective, and a rate which averaged half a cent
a copy was imposed. In 1875 the rate was modified, and made a bulk rate
of 1 cent a pound, an extremely low rate. The average weight of
newspapers at that time was so small that, in the case of certain
typical papers selected by the Government for the purpose, it was found
that the numbers required to make up a pound were from ten to fifteen.
In 1874 the total yield under the old rate had been only some $36,000.
The new rate was therefore likely to yield only some $6,000 a year, and
the advocates of free transmission argued that as such a small sum would
hardly be worth the trouble of keeping the accounts, the Government,
having gone so far, might well have taken a step further and abolished
altogether the postage on newspapers. The Government defence was that
the rate proposed was the lowest possible, and to mail free the papers
published in the various parts of the Dominion would be to impose too
heavy a burden upon the public treasury.[318]

The Canadian people had only to wait a few years for the boon. In 1882
an Act was passed "to provide for the free transmission of Canadian
newspapers within the Dominion." No discussion on the measure took place
in Parliament, and authoritative statements of the reasons inducing the
adoption of so generous a policy are not to be obtained;[319] but in
well-informed quarters it is