The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-23

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NEWSPAPER MOVEMENT FOR HIGHER WAGES
We perceive that meeting has been held in
Boston Of the proprietors of the Advertiser, the
Courier, the Post, the Atlas, the Transcript,
the Journal, the Trareller, the Times, the Bee,
the Herald, the Erening Gazette, the Common
pealth, the Chronicle, the Daily Mail and the
Puritan Recorder, with view to ian increase
in the prices Of advertising, and better under
standing in regard to the general management
of newspaper business" &c. The result Of this
meeting has thus far been an increase in the
prices of advertising Of all the newspapers of
Boston and its vicinity SO as to bring them
more nearly to the present exorbtant standard
of rents, breadstuffs, and provisions of all kinds
If such movement as this has been found
necessary to make both eads meet among our
Boston contemporaries. then is the press of New
York city doubly justified in similar move
ment for higher wages. Rents are higher
and provisions are higher in this city
than in any other city on this continent,
or any other continent-higher in proper
ton to other things inordinately higher
than houses, bread, meats, and vegetables, even
at San Francisco And so Of our taxes-no
city in America is taxed like New York. Our
annual aggregate Of taxation in this metropolis
= our muddy. dirty city-excee five millions
of dollars, or more than one-tenth of the whole
expenses of the government of the United
States-civil, judicial diplomatic, army and
navy, pensions, claims public debt, Post Office
Department. and ALL Then, again the news
furnished every day by the New York press
averages three times the amount Of that given
by our Boston contemporaries, and much Of it
at double the expense incurred by the Bos-
tonians
The conclusion is inevitable from these facts,
that if the newspaper men of Boston are justified
from the high prices Of the necessaries Of life,
&c, in striking for higher wages their cotem-
porares of New York are doubly justified in
doing the same thing. 1t costs us more to live
here; our taxes have increased, are increasing
and there is no prospect Of their being dimin'
isbed; we are engulfed in mud and filth, which
involves additional expenses in clothes and
soap, especially to the women and children;
we pay double for our news, and give three
times the quantity; and give our advertisers
five times the circulation of the Boston press.
These are strong arguments irresistible argu-
mepts, indeed--in favor of raising the price Of
the New YORK HERALD. And what is penny
day to the readers of the HERALD Nothing.
We shall, consequently proceed to reflect seri-
ously upon the question OF increasing the price
of the HERALD to three cents copy.
The CHEF OF PoIIcE.-Ehorts are still
being made at Albany, we see, TO make the
Office Of chief of police in this city an elective
one. What party or set OF Individuals are urg-
iog this change we are at loss to conceive;
public opinion here is dead against it, and even
the Board OF Supervisors reported the other
day that the appointi1s should be left with
the Mayor and Aldermen. Nor can We Imagine
a singe argument that could be adduced in
favor y the proposed alteration Common
sense tci us plainly enough that to make the
chief Of , &c dependent on the people and
iudependen Man or and Boards, would be to
AID anotter Efficient officer to those we have
already; TO llfro5uce political partisanship
into an Office W.T. &c IL would BE- fatal to the
public peace; 70 al to the already formidable
power Of the groc-,hop politicians; and IL
point of fact, t. hold out great inducements to
The Incumbent to promise evil doors impunity
as tie price OF their votes.
!. III the Legislature intends to tinker this con
stituiion Of ours any more, nothing short Of
total radical reform will satisfy the people Or
serve any salutary purpose. Halfway moa-
sures will aggrava,e, not cure the evils under
Which we suffer. We must revert to the old
system under which the Mayor Aldermen and
CouIcilmen alone were elected by the people,
and all other municipal officers appointed ny
them and responsible TO them. This system
IL the only one that would secure an efficient
discharge Of the duties Of the various depart
ments: the only ono that COMFORTS with the
state Of society 10 New York; the only one