post office

[SRoweCanoe@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/19/2003 3:41:31 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
timoro at hotmail.com writes:

> Could someone please give more information about this very odd rule? When it 
> 
> was stated and how long it lasted? And WHY postal officers dictated the 
> insides of comic magazines (any requirements for other types of mags?)?? 
> And 
> how they were able even to do it?
> How this effected to other comic books? I know Barks had to made changes to 
> 
> some of his stories.
> 

the reason that post office could dictate the insides is due to the second 
class postage - this gave magazines basic subsidy in the usa ----  (someone 
tried to explain to me once that in the pre1960s this included cheaper 
sending to newstands too via postal railroad cars- but he didnt quite 
convince me).  All magazines have to meet the post office requirement to be 
considered a magazine instead of a pamplet or book.  
  A friend gave me a real nice court decision  on puzzle magazines from the 
late 1950s...

even today this is one of the reason (other being that some USA states charge 
sales tax on books but not magazines) that the Archie digests have titles 
like "archie comics digest magazine" - letting you know it is a magazine.

steven rowe
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