The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-11-14
Some Facts About Newspapers.

There 10 perhaps no subject with which
the general public have so much to do O.
thev have with Newspapers about which
thew arc 80 ignorant with whose secrets
limo may 90 express 1t, they are so unac
uusinted. They read newspapers, sub
scribe for them, sometimes pay for then
and sometimes do not, advertise in then
and depend upon them to keep them in
formed as towhst IL E"iog On in the world
but - to tho different steps taken in it
manufacture. = to the cost Of the materia
used etc.. thsy aze - . general thinl
wholly iguceass.
1t serves cur purpose right now in con
nection with the fixing Of our subscription
rates At >2t0 = year, to explain our rea
suns for sodoing, lest our readers SHOULD
suppose peEhsps that We propose to fur
nish poor article for cheap price.
Newspapers. snd moro particularly coun
try newspapers, have three sources Of rev
cnne: their subscription lists, their adver
tisements, embracing under this general
head, marriage and death notices, editori'
al notices and I'll othor matter that ap'
pears in their columns for which they are
specially mdd, and job work.
Tho subscription list is dependent upon
too many circumstances to receive any
particular notice here at our hands, among
them We may mention the popularity of
the Editor, tho character and politics OF
the paper, its location, the stringency or
abundance of money etc. We will do the
people of Rapides the justice Of saying
that they are reading public and that
o they have generously supported us in our
new Newspaper enterprise and we believe
that numbers of them who do not take a
local paper are prevented from SO doing by
the high price charged for subscription
A year or two ago the price Of the yearly
subscription to the Louisiana Lemocrat
was Nre Dollars and when we started the
Caucasian in March last we found it to be
-Four Dollars which is still the price. 1t
was then, A. its readers will remember, but
small twenty column paper, much
smaller than tho present size Of the Cau-
oasia". We fixed our price at $500 and
81 SO for six mouths, and now propose to
reduce it to $3.50 for year and $3.50 for
six months. The extra Is cents aided to
the half of $3.50 on the six months sub
acription ia for the trouble Of keeping the
separate accounts and it is just the same
trouble to keep them for six months as
for year, etc.
Now let M see how we will come ont
with our subscription price at $3.50. For
that sum the subscriber will get fifty-two
papers. Tie blank paper costs for the
size we nae ab"nt $500 per ream. III a
r"am there are 90 qnires or $50 sheets. 1t
il now an easy matter to find the exact
cost. A simple division will give less than
one cent for each sheet and exactly As
cents for the 50 sheets used in one year.-
The ink used on tho tlfty-two papers prob
ably Gusts the other seven cents, to make
up the whole cost Of paper and ink at 50
cents per year. Let us now suppose that
800 papers are published each week and
that the printers wages are $25 90 per
week. This would make in the aggregate
$1,000 for the year. For the 300 papers the
subscription at $3.50 would he $75OOO-
Fifty cents for eacl, paper or $4,000 we
have already found it will take to buy pa
per and ink. This leaves us 5000 with
which to pay the $500, SO that the paper
finds itself loosen by $780, Nor does this
include any mention Of several very i'm
portant items. snch as interest on the cap
ftal invested in the printing material, pay
for the Editor for his labor and the loss
from wear and tear. If such paper then
had only 800 subscribers and no other
source Of revenue, it would lose conside-
rable money. But now let us suppose
that instead Of 800, the paper has 1000
subscribers. This would give us $500 at
$3.50 each. Deduct $1,000 Printers wages
and we have left $1,000. Deduct $500 for
cost Of paper and Ink, and we have on
hand 500. Let US say that We will give
the Printers the odd $500 for the extra
trouble Of working the press for the 1000
papers per week, the type setting would
DO the same, and We still have $500 left to
pay tho Editor for his work and for inter.
est &c.
paper having such circulation would
Of course have monopoly over all papers
within its range with smaller circulation,
and could reasonably expect to receive for .
Fts advertising the year, say $1,000 Cash.
With its increased circulation and adver-
tisements, would come the run Of the Job
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