The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-31
A business Talk.

very little oyer haF that wot.td be given 70
, In the North, or.in town composed alto L
ether Of an en,erprising white population.
rhe press here IN the South, therefore, Isl
comparatively poorly ,susssned. If pub
ishcd On the credit system-a system always /
.epudiated by this paper-iss claims are small
md widely scattered, and exceedingly dhi-1
alt to collect. If any pursue the cash sys-a
demand few do-their seaport is still by
very limited, and publishers |
therefore should be all'tbe more economies
md yirslant with regard TO their business.
The prepayment Of newspaper postageSas
been complained Of by some newspapers. IL
;s'a measure very beneficial to the press.
The system of paying postage at the place OF
delivery helped to keep up the imposition OF
aelrauent subscribers. Papers were sent
ON 20 those who paid neither subscription
nor postage; and "Te may say possnasters
rarely returned them to the offices from WHICH
thes were sent. Had the published known
fba, the person to whom the psper was sert
refused to pay even postage he ~snld have
despaired of getting his subscriptp
and stopped the paper. The pfeaayme'it OF
postage will reform this aud protect the pup
Usher completely.
Then, again, the custom, Of prepayment Of
postage will tsnculeate righteousness eco
monty in the newspaper ESTABLISHMENTS.
publishers will never prepayspostaese on pa
pers for witch they are not pad. They may
make safe compromise with subscribers,
they having the subscription price, and the
publishers agreeing to prepay the postage.
Such compromise weald he great gain to
the press (which has aost'so heavily hereto
fore in sending so. uaapy papers that have
not been paid for at all.
We already see the 'efteeT OF this postal
regulation ia bringing directly to the pub
Usher the true view Of bis interests. He de.
tesminesf to, change his terms of subscrip-
ton because be can't prepay postage and
trust 4be subscriber atitbe same time. Yet
he has been in the habit OF sending printed
paper for year on credit, while the white
paper on " hich the newspaper was printed
cost hus from four TO ten times as much as
the postage! The postase, one would think,
is emal matter compared to the cost Of the
white paper alone, and much less when we
consider the pdded eest of editing and print
ing. it. The Inconsistency Of their conduct
is striking, but. the result will be beneficial
TO them. si
The new regulatioaswill thus put an end
to custom that has keptthe editors nose to
the griadstone--i. e.,' the, credit system for
newspaper subscriptions. He has to pay
cash for all things. Ike paper-maker exacts
the cash for the white paper and the printers
for the type-setting, .andhe scatters his pa
peers on. credit all over the country, and
never gets pay for large psrt Of them. A
man who pays out cash for all things cannot
long continue loose credit business.
As it is ofvvalue tof5he. community in
political point of, view that the press should
be prosperous and independent, everything
that promotes its strength may be hailed as
apublc blessing. The press that Is poorly
sustained by the, public is ever Liable to be
made tributary to private ends ana ambi.
lions. The way,to secure-the integrity and
independence of the press is to secure the
peeuniary indesendence Of sshe publishers.
For this purpose the. public should support
the press, and tbs copductorssof newspapers
should take care of theii .ewn interests
with sagacity aad steadineas. Their
business, properly considered, is one
that requires quite as much as ANY
other system, and wise aud steadily main-
tanned regulations. by them their papers
should be looked upon as bank-no&es, never
to leave the counter without the guild pro
quo. They will all inds their advantage in
being rigidty exacting In this respect. 1t
will not only promote SheirE ifcafiGn and
independence but 1t will A5e every way
agreeable and satisfactory to the .aews-
raper-reading public. IT .Eould leave
people to select their Papers without
embarrassment; and their reading will he
all the more agreeable when they. read the
paper of their. choice, ,rhtcE tHleyt5aue pata
for. How much better than taking up ri
paper they, don't admire, and reading With
a feeling Of Indifference canceruipg thei
paper ITSELF while disturbed by a.casscien-
tious sense OF neglect either fer not stop.
ping II or for not paying for it.
This will ehea serious blow to the,custom
Of drumming,up subscriptions. by it nine
out-of ten take newspapers from sone other
reason than q zeal, desire to read theEa. ,0nce |
caught. they neither have the independence
to stop ncrthe .pramptitude 10 pay for them
In this way a world work isdone by editorsJ
that Is never paid fog, and gssat many very
good men are troubled with an annoyaneea
that they find difficulty in Kidding themselves
of. Solicited subscriptions are, therefore.
improbable. There Is .. bias against a paper
mapis asked to subscribe to. It de yolun- |
fariiy subscribed to 1t he would be.inclined |
to It all the time; but II he Is asked 80 SUBJ
scribe, and consents because he 'has DOT the |
heart to refuse, /" he will be aure to 6rd out |
ali its defects and criticise thesn sharply. In
fine, to think that it ia not the best of pagers.
and that he would haze done better not to
take it at ali.
We may therefore bail the prepayment
regulation as an admirable thing for the
press and for the public.
6With great Wit and penetration the Lynch.
ourg papers tided over this dry season by
s9spepdiRg for week for Christmas. and
III they had NIT onnnpnood 80 II