ly by the
ton, and the department thought it unreasonable to convey car-loads of
such mail from ocean to ocean for the same rate as for any shorter
distances within a province.[326] The Bill passed the Lower House,
although it was severely criticized as introducing the vicious principle
of provincial legislation; and "a serious aggravation of the tyrannical
injustice" was that a distinctive tax would be placed on city
publications, while preferential privileges would be given to country
newspapers.[327]

The Postmaster-General explained that with a bulk rate it was possible
to make nice distinctions of rate in regard to distance travelled, which
would be quite out of the question with a rate such as that for letters
charged separately on each individual item; the charge for the
transportation of a letter for a short distance would be so small that
no division of coin could be found to correspond to it, but with matter
mailed by the ton and wagon-load, and paid for by the ton and
wagon-load, the charge could well be adjusted for distance: but he
admitted that he had made no calculation as to whether the 1/8 cent a
pound would cover the cost of newspapers within the bounds of each
province.[328] The Bill was rejected by the Senate on account of the
undesirability on general political grounds of introducing any sort of
distinctions based on the provincial boundaries.

The proposal was revived in another form in 1903. It was then proposed
to reduce the postage to 1/4 cent a pound on newspapers when the
distance of transmission did not exceed 300 miles. The
Postmaster-General said definitely in Parliament that the rate would not
cover the cost, and, further, that the reduction would involve a loss of
revenue of from $50,000 to $75,000 a year on a total revenue from
newspapers of from $100,000 to $125,000.[329] The reduction was carried;
and in 1908 the reduced rate of 1/4 cent a pound was extended to all
newspapers passing within the Dominion, when posted in bulk. The
privilege is availed of by the publishers of many periodicals which are
virtually nothing more than advertising media; but this abuse has not
assumed serious proportions, and with the finances of the department in
a flourishing state, it has not been felt necessary to curtail the
privilege, although it involves great loss.[330]

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NEWSPAPER POST (SECOND-CLASS MAIL) IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A system for the