The Portland daily press., 1879-01-08
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JAN, 8.

have decreased-but for these reductions the
newspaper would hardly have survived. For
in most other respects the cost Of producing
the newspaper has increased. More is de-
manded of it. The cost Of collecting news
increases every day; the telegraph bills are
higher than ever, and would have seemed enor-
nous few years ago; correspondence in jour-
mails of the irst-class is better and better paid;
the expense of the editorial department Is
greater, and the labor on it is better and more
varied. If We were to 90 through all the items
from telegraph down to gas bills, the reader
would zee why the ne 9spaper cannot afford
much if any reduction below present rates;
especially when it is considered that it takes
its full share Of bad debts and loss of business.
AS rule, the first.class morning newspapers
in the large cities are $40 year; those with
Sunday editions $12 Some of them that have
no Sunday Issue, like the Boston Advertiser
and the New York Journal of Commerce, are
ST.. The expense attending morning paper
is considerably higher than that OF the evening
paper; this difference arises from less rates for
composition in the daytime than in the night,
less Incidental bills, as for gas, etc, and less
for teegraphic news. The morning journals
are assessed twice as much for kilograms as
the evening, in the regular bills of the AsSo-
clated Press for news First-;lass evening
journals like the New York Post and the
Albany Journal, are SO year, One of the
cheapest morning ne wspapers Of the first-class
is the Springfield Republican, which Is sold ct
80 year, or S11, including the Sunday edition.
The price of the Courant before and in the
first year Of the war was So. L. was then
small sheer, aud contained not half the reading
matter of to-day, and cost nothing like so
much to producs as it costs to-day. Our tele-
graphic bills are at least eight times what they
we're in 1861, and the Conrant's editorial labor
costs more than ten times what it cost then
TO say nothing of its regular correspondence.
The size OF the sheet is about that of the New
York Herald and World. In all it's depart.
ments, telegrsphic, local, editorial aud CORE
spondence, it Is rot only greatly improved
paper, but it is cheaper paper, considering
its qusntity and quality; and its subscription
priceis now IS year only.
The fact is that the cheapest thing that
man buys or takes into his house is good daily
newspaper. The modern journal with the news
of all the world freshly gathered every morning
Is marvel of cheapness. Eight dollars or
Twelve will not expended in any other way
bring go much entertainment, instruction and
positive addition to the interest of daily life.
10 the newspaper of the first class, there is
from a half hours to au hours reading daily
for each member of the family, and the cost is
only between TWO and three cents day. And
this can be afforded only by reason of i'm
proved processes, association Of newsgatheriug
extending the world over aud rigid and sys-
tematic attention to details. The failures in
newspapers much exceed the successes. at
the low rates of subscription, profits must de-
pend upon the general prosperity, and it is Just
when business is dull, no matter what the
price of other articles may be- that the journal
feels the pinch.