Books: Book Post

President Roosevelt (after eloquent lobbying for publishers by his old friend Lawyer Morris Ernst) proclaimed the postage rate on books containing all reading, no advertising matter, cut from 8¢ to 1¢ a pound. Publishers, who have long chafed against higher rates for books than for magazines (previous cost of mailing a 2-lb. book from New York to Los Angeles: 26¢: a 2-lb. magazine: 3¢), urged the reduction to enable them to reach the 32,000,000 U. S. rural and small-town dwellers who have no access to bookstores.