splitting Up the Country 



Do you know that the postage on 

 your magazines is to be increased 

 by several hundred per cent be- 

 ginning July 1st, unless you and other 

 intelligent citizens protest strongly 

 enough? It is a huge tax on intelligence. 

 For many years one cent has carried a 

 pound of publications to any place in the 

 country. This rate on publications is 

 called "The Second Class Rate." 



Penalized for Where You Live 



In the War Revenue Bill is a clause 

 placing a very high postage rate on the 

 advertising pages of magazines — the rate 

 increasing with the distance carried — • 

 in other words a zone system as on parcel 

 post. It now costs about 1 3^ cents to 

 carry a copy of Popular Science Month- 

 ly to the Pacific Coast. 



But when the Second Class Postal clause 

 in the War Revenue Bill is in full effect it 

 will cost over six cents to carry one copy 

 of this magazine — over 72 cents a year, 

 as compared with the present cost of 

 15 cents! Just think of it! The further 

 you happen to live from New York the 

 more postage you will have to pay on 

 your Popular Science Monthly and 

 on all the other magazines you read that 

 are printed in New York! 



You know that if you bought the con- 

 tents of one issue of Popular Science 

 AIonthly in book form it would cost at 

 least one dollar, and probably a good deal 

 more. But you buy Popular Science 

 Monthly for 15 cents. 



This is made possible by the one-cent-a- 

 pound postage and by the advertisements. 

 To place a huge tax on the advertising 

 pages is to kill the goose that lays the 

 golden eggs. 



Why does Congress, now, in the midst 

 of the War, want to throttle the press, 

 the one vital force that keeps the country 

 united.'' It was by the jugglery of Con- 

 gressman Kitchin that the Second Class 

 Postage clause was passed as a part of 

 the War Revenue Bill. A little group 

 in the House of Representatives proposed 

 it, the Senate voted it down; then the 

 little group put it back, and insisted. 

 You know how the discussion in Congress 

 on the War Revenue Bill dragged and 

 dragged. ■ Finally, the only chance of 

 passing the Bill was to take it all — hook, 

 line and sinker, including the vicious 

 postage tax on magazine readers — and it 

 was passed ! 



What You Should Do About It 



No, The Zone System must be repealed 

 before it goes into effect on July 1st. 

 The Senate thinks it vicious. The people 

 don't want it, and they must protest. 



You and every reader of magazines 

 should write to your Senator and your 

 Congressman; tell them that you want 

 the Zone System repealed. 



If you want the names of your Senator 

 and your Congressman, or any other 

 assistance, write to the Editor of Popular 

 Science Monthly — he will gladly help 

 you. 



