A friend and I were discussing this and were wondering if is not a way to try and get more people into the Kingdom Hall. If people are forced to go to get their mags, then they will have to be there. Improves their numbers too. I am sure that money is a factor in this as well. But, with the internet now and all the info available, they want those mags in the hands of sincere people only.
That line of reasoning could very well imply they'll stop door-to-door work too. It's obvious one should only preach to sincere people and since the end goal is to get these sheep in the hall, all these sincere householders should know where to come and get it.
And don't forget there's a donation box in the hall, so all these sincere ones can properly donate their share. Though they contemplated special portable donation boxes for field-service, that idea so far didn't make it other than the usual subtile references to donations.
The way the WTBS describes this process themselves? Proclaimers, page 349-350:
The Governing Body directed that in the United States, all literature that the Witnesses distribute-Bibles, as well as tracts, booklets, magazines, and bound books explaining the Bible-be provided to people on the sole precondition that they read it, no contribution being suggested.Eeeh?
---
Every absurdity has a champion to defend it.