The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-15 00:00:00

THE INCREASED COST OF PRODUC-
TION OF NEWSPAPERS.
(Front the Printer's Register.)

The enormous increase in the price of all kinds of
printing materials raises a serious question which will
s toner or later have to be grappled with; and we be-
lieve that, under the circumstances, the sooner the
better. The question is, whether it is feasible and
practicable that the price of the penny daily shall be
increased in proportion to the augmented cord of pro-
duction. That the expenses of the daily and many of
the weekly press have lately increased from twenty-
five to thirty per cent, is beyond a doubt, but news.
patter proprietore shrink—and not unnaturally—from
raising the price of their papers from the orthodox
penny to the generally unheard-of ruin of three.
halfpence. What with paper gradually rising, the
continued increasing competition for the latest news,
higher wages to workmen, and shorter hours, we
believe it will be almost impossible for a penny paper
to return a fair interest en its capital without some
radical change is made. The charge for advertise-
ments has been advanced, and the agents' profits in
several instances have been somewhat curtailed, but
neither of these plans has been sufficient to countei bal-
ance the constantly in iceasing expenditure. What,
then, is to he done? It is tolerably obvious tons that if
the penny dailies are to continue to exist some consider-
able alterati ot in size must take place ; indeed,
there are indications that they must cease to appear at
a penny, arid that the price of the full-sized eight page
Paper will have to be increased to three-halfpence.
Even supposing the last-namel measure were carried
out, the English daily newspapers would still be the
cheapest in the world—quality considered. It must
be remembered that the penny paper originally con-
sisted of only four pages, at a time when the cost of
production was not nearly so great as it is now. It
is, of course, impossible to Pay what effect the change
of price would have, but we are of opinion that the
leading daily journalswould have no cause to regret the
alteration, supposing a simultaneous peep were
taken, an I we are also of opinion that the public gene-
rally would not murmur after the first few weeks. As
a proof of the higher prices now charged fir other
kinds of printing, it may be incidentally mentioned
that an additi mai sum of £51,6613 is required for
printing and stationery for the public departments in
the year ending the itlet instant, on account of the
incremed prices and locrea el consumption—but
mainly the former—in the Government offices.
We understand that a large number of newspaper
proprietors are expected in London Alluring the first or
second week in May, when it is anticipated that the
annual meetings of the Provincial Newspaper Society
and the Press Association will be held simultaneously.
Last year the Pr wincial Newspaper Society held a
Conference on the evening preceding its annual meet-
ing, when, as our readers will probably r member,
several important resolutions were passed, many of
which have since taken effect. We are not aware
whether it has been decided to hold another Conference
this year, but we think there are many trade questions
which may be profitably discussed by a gathering of
newspaper men, and amongst these is the one we have
just called attention to. Whatever is done in the matter
must have the support of the leading newspaper men
in the kingdom, and as the annual meeting of the Pro-
vincial Newspaper Society is the only one of the kind
which takes place in London, we venture to hope that
the subject may then be seriously debated. In the
meantime we would suggest that notes should be taken,
and careful estimates made, of the actual increase in
production which has; taken place during the last two
or three-years, in order that sufficient facts may be
produced to prove that it is expedient that sorne change
should be mutually agreed to for the benefit of the
newspaper proprietor.