The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-09-22

TlIs Price of Newspapers.
The New York Times, one OF the best
newspapers in the world, has reduced its
price from four 10 two cents per copy. The
Times does this, it says, because 1t desires
to reach more people. The New York 1ri'
b,ne responds by reducing its price from
four cents to three cents. Both are Repub'
lican in politics, and in sense competitors;
and the reason for the Tribunes departure
Is probably to be found in that OF the Times.
Such newspaper as the Times is very
cheap at two cents; 1t was not dear at four
There is a good deal Of speculation about
the real motive which led othis reduction.
Let us wee what are the local conditions.
For some time the Herald has sold at
three cents, for which price the purchaser
g,ts newspaper OF twelve, sixteen and
sometimes Of twenty-four pages, largely
made up OF advertising, it is true. The
World, eight pages, has long sold at two
cents, and the Sun, four pages, at the same
price. The Morning Journal, four pages,
il two cents; Truth is one cent These
cheaper newspapers have no doubt stood
in the way OF the Times and Tribune,
g.thering in great deal that would other.
wise have come as natural increase to the
higher priced and more digniied Prints
1t may be-, therefore, that these newspapers
have felt that reduction was necessary to
save themselves as against their lower
priced competitors. Itdoes not follow from
this thought that they were not both
making moneyat the former price oil SUBJ
scription. Another view which they may
have taken relates to the advertising.
Circulation brings advertising, and in
New York there is scarcely limit to either.
A New York newspaper can be distributed
by breakfast time over q territory contain
ing nearly four millions OF people. Beyond
this New York newspaper has the whole
country. Barring the white paper, ink and
press work, 1t costs no more to produce q
million newspapers than to produce one
1t is the first copy that costs all the brain
work, the energy, the outlay, the tireless
supervision, the plant required to produce
a million, :are necessary as well for the
single paper. The cost per copy decreases
rapidly with the number Of copies pro.
duced. Everybody knows this, but every
body is not mindful Of it. Each reader
gets as much as all the readers OF news.
paper, and all the readers together do not
paw for it. The advertisers are an import
ant element.
In New York City, where column in a
leading newspaper for year brings from
100000 to $685. newspaper with $4,000
or 10000 circulation has very strong in.
centiye TO double or treble its figures II it
can. What 1t takes off Its subscribers II
WILSON be able to- put on lis advertisers,
for in the great business centers circulation
commands its value. The Philadelphia
Record, on Saturday, prints an eight page
newspaper and sells 1t for cent. As be-
tween the seller and the buyer 1t is losing
operation for heseller; but the seller makes
it up on the advertiser, who is glad to more
than make up the difference, and the Re
cord realizes handsome profit on the days
business.
Successful newspapers in great cities are
valuable properties-"worth Kings ran.
son." Their profits are out OF all proper.
ton to the difference in cost Of plant as be-
tween those in large places and those in
small. But in place small in comparison,
as in Wheeling, the public demands Of its
newspapers the news Of the world by tele.
graph-what happened across the ocean
last night must be in this mornings INTEL
1IGExcRn; the home field, with us covering
one State entire and important parts OF two
States, must be cleaned with care; whatever
relates to our great industries must be
gathered in; the smallest local happening
must be recorded, and it is not too much
to say that no newspapers in the country
are more thorough in the work than those
Of Wheeling. We address ourselves to an
intelligent community, and it is expected
that we shall comment intelligently upon
the news of the day, never emitting those
things which come closest to our people.
It might be possible to give to the read
ers OF q Wheeling morning paper an
ISrELLIaRNCER or q Register at cent
copy, but their readers who know them
now would know them no more forever,
and the effort might easily result in indig-
nation neutrality-suspicious. in armed re-
bellion.
The man who pays fifteen cents week
for an honest newspaper which keeps him
up with the times and stands by it's home
interests is getting good thing cheap-and
a home newspaper is cheaper to its people
than the best distant newspaper without