Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-01-24
From the London Literary Gazette.
'uE NEWSPAPER PRESS IN FRANCE

600 daily and that the profits are nearly 49,
600 francs per annun. Supposins inc save
men, as to the ejaculation TO be correc,, 'he a
mount Of profit is not overraied. as VIII appear
from the following calculslion:-l ne charse
ror The Constitutional to the subscribers Is 30
francs per annum, per copy; and the expense o'
paper, with the stamp duty: which Is nSe ecu
times to government, and 4 farther a'orsary
duty by the police, amounting probably, on an
average, 10 II cenlinles, is about 80 francs;
leaving prof, upon the sale OF raeh paper u
"a francs, or, for The sake oil round NUMBERS,
40 francs, which will allow for the expense Of
delivery in Paris. This upon 1000 copies
would be 800 900 francs for The year,iIom wh'ch
We are to deduct the following expenditure,
which will be found pretty near the reality:
To redoctemen chief principal ediloD
who, in addition to a regular salary, has
in The naner. 100000
To sub.editors, or, as they are called
in France, reddcteurs, under which drno-
mihation come the ,ransla'ors OF foreign
naners. and literary contributors, 10000
To reporters, Of whom there are sell
dom more than three on each Paris pa
ner. 10000
The expense Of the Office and clerks,&c.
kept, as the accounts Of a French paper
are extensive, the copies bring furnished
TO subse ribers direct ii ON the offioe; and
not, as in this country, through the "a
gency Of ne wsvenders, who take all the
trouble and risk OF the collection OF the
accounts from their customers, whilst
they themselves pay for their papers in
ready money, 10000
Tie expense Of foreign corresponds
ence, which to paper like the Consi-
tutionnel is very heavy, say, ON an aver
age 2o'ooo
To which we will add, for information
Of various kinds, and for disbursements
Of every description, 10000
The expense Of printing and press
work, $4,000
The allowance to agenrs in the coun-
try for collection, and bad debts, say
per CENT 10000
In,eres, upon capital in types, press
es, SC. 10000
Making total Of zoe, 900
francs which will leave nett profit of 100000
francs per annum, about IS ,oo0L, 10 which
is 10 b. added the profit upon The ADVERTISE
ments, which, as they pay no duty to govern
msnt, and are charged al the enormous rale Of
a frame per line, canno, yield less than 3oooL
per annum; making a total prof upon the un
der,aking OF 20 oooL per annum. 1t should BE-
noticed, tina, in the climate Of tn, expenses
here given many circumstances p. culiar TO such
a paper as the Constitutional are taken into
consideration. The usual expenses Of Paris
paper are by no means equal to those o. re-
spectacle London evening paper, which. exclu-
sive of the stamp and Cost Of pape1. run from
100 to 1901 per week; and The Eroba ,ilI'y is,
tina: even those Of the Cons'iu'ionne (leaving
out Of view the expo nse Of oolieo tiunl do not
exceed 6oooL per snnum.
A Curious comparison may be drawn between
the Cons,ituIionnel, The ], aiding Paris paper,
and ne Times, which is The principal paper in
London as to size, contents, aud expenditures.
The Constitutional is moi much more Than
third Of the size of she Times, auc it contains
less Than $4,000 words, whilst the lines aver
ages more than $4,000. The Constitutional
has only or reporters, and the Times mas
from IA TO ls, at regular saiari Of FIVE or six
guineas per week ca, b, oes'd's host ut penny
a-ine men, to whom are paid probably, upon
an aversgr, three or four pounds per day Tor the
matter supSlird at three pence per hne.-
The printers bill! Of the Constitutional Cannot
excerd ISL per week; that of The l inn. may be
nearly 1901 A circulation OF oniy 5000 co.
pics Of thr ConstiutIonnrl,. taking the average
expenditure Of d Paris paper, would Weld
small profit to he proprietprs; Wills, i, re-
quires Tor the Times circulation IF more than
5000 per day to cover the ordinary sxo.ndi-
lnrf; for although Tho French paper is sold at
little more than third Of the price. at the
Times, the net prof, upon onr, after deductng
the amount OF stamp duty and paper, is almost
as large as that upon the Other, wnilst the ex-
penses, striking lair average. are a, least four
times heavier. II is no', ptrhaps,at all generally
known, that Of the seven-pence charged for
London newspaper, li,llr more than three -half-
pence go to the proprie,ors. For the paper
and stamp duty nearly fourpenee halfpenny are
paid; and as the Papers ATE delivered to he
newsmen at thirteen shiliings per quire Of
twenty seven papers, the return price to the
proprietors is less Than sixpence per paper
II would be impossible for any London news
paper, with the expenditure necessary for carr
rying on concern so as to meet competition,
10 obtain profit from circulation OF less han
to 5000 per day. Ii is only from TIE sdver-
tisemen,s that they Can derive profit; wnere
as, in Paris, as We have before stated, a paper,
even without advertise ments, may keep us
course with circulation OF 5000. III. Con