Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-11-28
The Price Of Newspaper.

In an article on this subject, which We
copy on our first page to-day, the Bellows
Falls Times drives straight at the mark in a
way which everybody can understand. The
writer is A. n Swain, the editor Of the Times,
an honest and candid man, and one Of the
veteran newspaper men Of the State. The
convictions which he gives utterance 10 are
the result Of q lifetime Of experience, and
lis conclusions cannot be gainsaid. Our own
experience shows Us that on no one subject
Of general individual interest has there been
so much misunderstanding and lack Of ap-
probation Of the facts involved, as il regard
to the price Of newspapers and the reason
why there has been no reduction on the part
Of the country press in the last FIVE years Of
hard times and bottom prices
That many people persistently shut their
ears TO an understanding Of the reason why
newspapers have not come down" with ey-
cry thing else, We are well aware, but this
fact does not prevent US from adding our
word Of affirmation 10 that of Mr.. Swain
Take THE PHGSII as an illustration. To be
gin with, compare the amount Of reading
matter which the paper contained in 1850
with what it contains to-day, and it viii be
found to have been actually less by one-third
10 one-half then than now. The price Of
composition on this smaller amount Of mat
ter was at least 20 per cent, and in some
cases 80 per cent, less per 1000 ems than
now. The cost of white paper was less, if
anything, per pound, rents and other Office
expenses were one-fourth less, and as Mr.
Swain suggests, the capital then required
bore no comparison 10 what Ii now absolute
ly necessary for carrying on the business.
These facts are Of themselves sufficient an
swer to the oft-repeated question, but they
only tell half the story. Compare the quail
ty of the matter with which subscribers were
satisfied in 1860 with what is demanded to-
day, and sec the difference. Then, except in
case Of q stirring political campaign, or some
unusual excitement. an editorial Clipped,
very likely on some common place topic a few
Brattleboro items, such as came readily to
hand, and possibly few county locals made
up the actual editorial work of the paper.
The rest Of the contents were scissored at
random, and largely for their value as fl-up.
By this comparison we do not mean to cast
any reflection on the editorial work of TWEEN
ty years ago The newspaper men Of that
day were wise and faithful in their day and
generation, and gave their readers all that
was expected Of them. But compare now
with then, and the difference in the labor and
expense involved in the preparation Of mat
ter for each weekly issue is plainly apparent.
The subscriber of to-day looks 10 see all sub
jects Of current interest intelhgently discuss
ed editorially the general news of the week
must be carefully eollated and boiled down ;"
the local field must be diligently secured for
every possible item Of news and days of hard
work given TO this department, where hours
would have formerly more than sufhced cor
respondence from points of central interest is
looked for, and last, but not least, the selec-
tons and miscellaneous articles must be care
fully chosen for their real worth from an in.
structiye or literary point Of view. All this
means steady, persistent and skilled profess
sional work, every week and every day in the
week, and, if there is any sighting subscrib-
ers are quick to note and condemn it.
Work like this was not demanded twenty
years ago but it came to be called for during
the war, and when the panic came, and all
values tumbled, this demand on newspaper
resources still continued, and there has been
no lot up, nor will there be. That all coun-
try newspapers give their readers this sort OF