64 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



The Society of American Authors has taken up the sub- 

 ject of cheaper postage for manuscripts and as much pres- 

 sure as possible will be brought to bear on Congress, at 

 the next session, in the hope of changing the present un- 

 just rate. In the United States authors now pay the same 

 rate upon manuscripts that they do upon private com- 

 munications, notwithstanding the fact that manuscripts 

 are clearly in the nature of commercial papers and have 

 been so defined by the Universal Postal Union. Other 

 countries recognize the fact that though a manuscript 

 may be in writing, it is not a letter and charge only one 

 quarter of the rate prevailing in the United States. For 

 twenty-five cents a w riter in Borneo, Persia, Korea, Zan- 

 zibar or even Terra del Fuego can send a manuscript to 

 an editor in this country but itw-ould cost the editor a dol- 

 lar to remail it to a friend on the next street. Under what 

 we are accustomed to call less enlightened rule, Cuba, 

 Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, etc. had this lower rate, 

 but the American occupancy has now made the rate the 

 same as we have at home. When we consider that even 

 good manuscripts are often returned again and again, be- 

 fore they are accepted, the laurden this high rate puts upon 

 the writers of this country is apparent. It is expected 

 that a bill making the rate the same as in other countries 

 wrill be introduced simultaneously in both senate and 

 house at the next session of Congress. It is hoped that 

 all who are interested in the matter will, at the proper 

 time, write to their senators and congressmen about it 

 and that in the meantime they will call the attention of 

 others who might be interested, to the movement. Fur- 

 ther particulars ma}^ be had by addressing G. Grosvenor 

 Da we, Secretary Society of American Authors, 128 Broad- 

 way, New York. 



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A meeting of fern students, which the editor expects to 

 attend, will be held in St. Louis, Mo., during the Holidays, 

 in conjunction with the meeting of the American Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science. A further announce- 

 ment will be made later. 



