New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-03
NrwspapERs IN GREAT BRITAIN.

While in England in 1851 the Editor Of The Tribune
was called before the Committee of the House of Com
mons Of which Mr. Miner Gibson was Chairman and
Mr. Richard Golden leading member, raised to consid
or the taxes on knowledge The testimony sought
related to the working Of the Free principle in this
country the extent Of newspaper circulation among our
peope the average character Of our lowprced papers
as compared with that Of the more costly, &c DC. Oar
testimony imported that there less scurry and less
impertDent personality in the American than in the
British Press and not Of either In our cheap than
in our derer journals while cheapest papers having
the widest basis Of popular support were more nde
pendent Of parties leaders and cques than the dearer
journals whose circulation necessarily more restrict
ed TO certain classes interests and cOteries But we
proceeded to show clearly could, how the Brit
ish Stamp and Advertisement duties but especially the
latter tended inevitably to break down the less fortunate
British dayes and concentrate the newspaper business
almost entirely on the leading jOurna-that is, The
Times.
The operation is as follows The Government i'm
poses duty Of one penny sterling on each printed
sheet containing Current News and Of one and sxPence
sterling thirysx cents) each insertion Of an ad-
vertisement in newspaper, without regard TO its
length OF the exten, Of that papers circulation.
Now single daily journal The Tmes-has attaineda
daily circulation ofneary Forty Thousand copies, which
that Of all the other daies in the United Kingdom
does not equal An advertiser in The Times pays thir
tysix cents daily to the Government duty thereon,
while, if be would secure the amount of publicity
by advertising in other journals he must pay some flee
dollars or thereabOuts into the Treasury Advertise
ment duty In other words, advertisements in The
Times pay an average duty of some ten per cent.
their value, while the same advertisements ia other
journals pay from forty to eighty per cent. of their
value Nay there are respectable London dalies which
might open their columns free of charge TO all adyers
ers who would pay the duty and yet such advertising
would be dearer than in The Times at shilling ster
ling per line.
OF course the virtual monopoly thus secured 10
The Times tended not merely to perpetuate but to ag
gravate los effects Every business man must adger
tiso in The Times because advertising therein at high
price was cheaper than in other journals at the lowest
price and every business must take The Times, be-
cause in its columns only could they what every
body else had 20 SELL or exhibit, purpOsed to do.
We knew men who took no paper but The Times.
though thoroughly detestng that journal and preerrDg
almost any other but other contained half the ad
yertisements which they needed to every morning
ana tnuS Inc iiAttS iOI ONti oihOO
its prominence first secured through it's mBrked
ability and its extraordinary enterprise in expressing
Foreign News-been steadily eating up its rivals, half
of which are now published at loss, and the residue
sustained only by virtual abandonment of the field
of newscollecting to the Thunderer of Printing
house-square.
We hail the success of Mr.. Miner GbsOns motion
for u repeal Of the duty Advertisements as most
suspicious event for the British Press aud People ns
tendency TO destroy the monopoly of TIE Times True,
this is but one step in the path of Reform; for the
Stamp and Paper duties also contribute materially,
though not powerfully to perpetuate the monopoly.
If the first step be successfully taken, however, the
others are morally certain to follow. We trust there
FORE that the Mnisty attempt in the face of its late
defeat, to retain sixpenny duty on Advertisements
while abOlishing <he stamp on Supplements-bOth
points directly calculated to uphold The Tmes's mo-
popoly, and probably dictated by its owners-Wil be
sienay defeated and needy servant out Of place or
unlucky maid who has lost her ring brooch, may be
permitted 20 make known the the loss without
paying tax therefor the Treasury 1t is high time
that this nuisance were abated