The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-10-24
Prices OF Newspapers.


The New York Herald follows the re-
cent example of the World, and the very
much earlier one Of Tho Republican, which
did this same thing soon after the close Of
the war, by reducing its prices from four
TO three cents. The World was driven 10
this course by the sharp necessity OF some
change 10 keep the machine going; it was
another case OF the family out Of meat
with the minister coming,-"something
had got to be DONE" The Herald has been
pushed hardly by the Sun for its former
great audience, and the present change
had become essential to maintain Its es-
tablished place as the popular New York
paper, it must come down or lose its old
hold. Thisleaves the Tribune and Times
the only four cent papers in the city, and
neither OF them can reduce its price with
out greatly lowering the quality Of the
journal. Indeed, We should much rather
see them go up to FIVE cents than down TO
three. Ii is impossible 10 publish frat
class paper in New York, to-day, for less
than four cents, unless 1t has an immense
circulation like the Sun, or great adyer-
tising patronage like the Herald. Allthe
leading western papers-Chieago, Cincin-
natl and ST. Louis-charge Eve cents and
it is rapidly becoming impossible to main
tain frst.class cosmopolitan journal for
less than that sum.
The HeraITs move will put limit 10
the inroads Of the San upon its natural
field, and will probably also prevent the
World from getting that leading position
which, under its lower price and i'm.
proved editing, there have been some
sigma it might yet achieve. The Ifmes
and Tribune, "a we have said, cannot
afford 10 initiate iu example, and proba-
bly, neither Of them sees its course to an
increase Of price to FIVE cents, with the
consequent Improvement in scope and
quality, which the late Henry J. Ray
mond fOresaw as inevitable ut no distant
time. 1t is great pity they cannot both
see and seize their opportunity-stop the
present waste OF money and brains in
maintaining both at the present prices,
come together and form one "pertectly
splendid" paper las the girls would Uay)
at five cents copy and $l2 year-ju.t
such a paper rs the metropolis ought to
produce and the country would heartily
support.
That ia The inevitable and irresistible
tendency OF our modern American jour.
nalism-whether It Ia resisted in any
particular case like this or not. The
central fact in the newspaper busines,
to-day is simply this, that, largely under
the influence OF the war, newspapers have
multiplied in number and grown in ex.
pense faster than the patronage upon
which they depend. It will surprise the
average reader-and it Is remarkable
fact-that the circulation Of the three
leading New York papers to-day hardly
exceeds what they had before the war
Save in few exceptional cases, news
papers are forced 10 do one OF three
things: reduce prices, which Except in
such rare cases as the Herald and sam
means lower their quality, and so will
not satisfy public that demands Just as
good a paper for three cents as four
raise their prices, which can only bt
done in few cases like the suggested
change in the Tribune and Times, Il they
both cling to life; or-which we are des
tined TO see IN many cases on a smaller
scale, II not in the New York instance
consolidate. Fewer newspapers and bet
ter ones, in short, sums up the future o.
journalism in this country.