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 blic in print

standing announcements similar to the following which ap- peared during the middle of the eighteenth century in The Pennsylvania Gazette at Philadelphia: "Advertisements for the German and English Gazettes printed at Lancaster by Miller and Holland are taken at the post-office." In fact, the colonial post-office always stood ready to help the newspaper when the postmaster was not financially interested in the printing-plant. William Bradford, the publisher of the first colonial weekly in New York, made an arrangement with Richard Nichols, post- master in 1727, whereby the latter accepted advertisements for The New-York Gazette at regular rates and sold single copies of the paper at what to-day would be the stamp window.

FREE POSTAGE AT FIRST

When John Campbell first sent out his written news-letters to colonial Governors, they were mailed without cost. Later, when he printed his letters under the title, The Boston News- Letter, he undoubtedly was able to mail many of them free and only had to pay a nominal charge in other cases. One of the reasons why the colonial printer-editor desired to be postmaster was undoubtedly the opportunity that was afforded by such an office to make advantageous arrangements with local post- riders to deliver newspapers. Certainly, the postmaster-editor possessed better facilities for the distribution of his paper than rival editors; Benjamin Franklin and William Weyman have already borne testimony to this fact.

Franklin was a master at the art of securing free distribution of his Pennsylvania Gazette. In his issue for January 28, 1735, he published the following item: "By the indulgence of the Honorable Colonel Spotswood, Post-Master-General, the printer hereof is allowed to send the Gazettes by the post, postage free, to all parts of the postroad, from Virginia to New England."

REGULATIONS OF FRANKLIN

But as newspapers increased, a change from the plan just out- lined was made. In 1758 Franklin and Hunter were in charge of the general post-office for the colonies, and on March 10 of that year they issued the following statement :