The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-11-23
Newspaper Advertising-The Duties az tho
Press

Newspaper Advertising-The Duties az tho
Press.
Elsewhere will be found extracts from Bos-
ton journals relating to the subject of news
paper advertising. 1t appears that on the 18th
inst, Lieut.. Alexander, of the Engineers, di-
rected an advertisement to be inserted in the
Boston Times, and the bill to be sent to the
Office of the Post. The proprietor Of the Times
made out his bill according to rates which seem
to have been usual in that part Of the country
at all events rates which he himself deemed
proper; but the parties to whom he was referred
at the Office of the Post, and Lieut.. Alexander
himself, refused Indignantly to pay it, and
characterized the proceeding as swindle.
Lieut.. Alexander so far forgot himself as to
write foolish and indiscreet letter to the
editor of the Times, in which he states that the
charge fthe Times is 'nearly double the amount
charged by the first class papers of Boston aud
New York" We have no means of knowing
the tariff of our contemporaries; but so far as
the HERALD is concerned, Lieut. Alexander is
altogether at fault. The charge of the Times
was-
For one insertion. ~ 90
For 70 subsequent do. Observation-Disclosures. 81 80
Total. $50 90
Our charge for the same advertisement would
have been:-
For one inseruoh ................. 20 w
For 70 subsequent do. 1853 90
Total. ...... slea 90
--or very nearly three time the charge of
the Times. Nor are we warned by any decline
s,, al ~,
consider we cell our space too high.
This is very small matter in ITSELF though
indirectly of some Importance to the public.
The government of this country, and the va
rious departments of which it is composed,
seem to have become impressed with an idea
that the newspaper business differs from all
others, in being sort of public concern in the
management of which every mainland more
than others, every government oflicial-has
right to voice. If the President wants hat
or q coat, and sends to tailor or halter for
them, he does not presume to fix the price
which shall be paid for them nor would Lieut..
Alexander, himself, we fancy, pretend that the
price Of the tea, coffee and sugar he consumes
ought to be fixed by himself, instead Of the
Alexander undertake to deal with the press,
they seem to think it is their business, and not
the printers or publishers, to say how much
shall be paid for advertisements. The couse-
quence of this fallacy of theirs has been, that
when they have ventured to dictate to
journals of the standing of the HERALD, they
and their advertisements have been shown the
door together; and at this moment we deal
with the United States government on more
cautious terms than we would with any re-
spectacle private corporation or individual,
simply because we are afraid Of being cheated.
Hence it follows that many matters which il is
the business Of the government to make pub
lie do not obtain the publicity needful.
The prices of advertising are regulated like
that of all other commodities, by supply
and demand. All properly managed newspa.
pers charge as much as they can get, and no
more When the time comes that we can fill
our paper with advertisements at half a dollar
OF dollar line we shall do SO, If we please.
and II tho President chooses to advertise he
shall pay the same as any one else The charge
OF the Boston Times was, we presume, what the
proprietors of that journal can obtain from
other advertisers for their space; and to call it
exorbtant, and extravagant, and swindle,
only shows that those who use these epithets
do not understand the principles of trade.
Long as newspapers have been established in
the United States, and mauy as there are, their
true relations to society do not yet seem to be
understood. In another Boston journal we per-
ceive an account of squabble between the edi-
tor and the publishing firm of Ticknor & Fields.
1t appears that the editor reviewed one of the
publications of the latter with severity, where
upon Ticknor a. CO., wrote an indignant letter
calling for their bill, disseminating the paper,
and notifying the proprietors that they would
cease to advertise in his columns Ofcourse
Messrs Ticknor q Fields have right to deal
with what newspapers as with what grocers or
tailors they please and for the Journal to com
plain Of what they have chosen to do is the
height Of absurdity. At the same time il must
be obvious even to themselves, on reflection,
that this act Of theirs is neither more nor less
than an attempt to gag or bride the press by
means Of their advertising, and can neither
attain its object with any certainty nor re-
dound to their own credit. We do not know
how they order matters in Boston, but here
there is no advertiser so necessary to the press
that leading journal could not afford to cut
him of, and exclude his advertisements. We
do not remember to have heard Of any leading
journal here complaining that this or that ad-
vertiser withheld his favors; but it has come
to our ears that parties have cried out Justify
at being deprived Of the privilege Of adver-
Using in this or that newspaper.
Our COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS AND THE CREDIT
SYsTEM-The general complaint of our coun-
try newspaper editors is pinching poverty,
with hundreds and thousands of dollars due
them from their delinquent subscribers, which
they cannot collect II is q general disease