Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-03

NEW YORK, September 27.-The news
dealers, factor hitherto unconsulted in
the war of rates among the local news
papers are beginning to move against
the reduction in their profits. As the
quoted price Of the various papers has
dropped, their commissions have de-
creased. Dealers commissions, which
before the epidemic set in, ranged from
! to II cents on each paper, now ranges
from ! cent to 1 cent. The most
unsatisfactory feature of the situa.
tion, is that the outside city
newsboys as we'll as dealers insist on
selling all papers at about the same
price as before and that neither the
newspaper proprictors nor their patrons
get the slightest advantage on account of
the drop in prices. Last night the east
side newsdealers held an indignation
meeting and sixty of them signed
pledge to sell at 18 and 20 cents
per week the papers that have
made reduction. The West Side deal
ers will meet tonight and strike against
the reduced commission. The disafec-
tion bids fair to spread. It is by 10
means impossible that this action of the
middlemen may check the demoraliza-
ton on rates, and even bring about a
restoration Of old prices.
Mr.. Joseph Medill, of the Chicago
Tribune, conversing to-day with a re-
porter of the Commercial advertiser
upon the Herald's cut to two cents, said:
knew that the Herald would have to come
down, and that the Tribune was not low
enough at three cents, in view of what we may
call the New York newspaper crisis. Well, you
tell me the Herali has reduced to
two cents; did not think it would come so
soon, but it doesn't take Bennett long to
reauced, did not expect to have the
field of cheap journalism to itself for any
length of time. The Tribune promptly re-
sponded to the challenge by reducing to three
cents, and so acknowledged the undermining
effect of the Times prices, but it will have to
drop to two cents. This is the more likely in
view Of the Herald's new departure. Bennett
fer the last few days has been apx.ously
watching the inroads maae upon his
circulation by this coup, ard has
doubtless lost thousands of copies
per day. Three or four years ago the Herald
sold at four cents, and was wholesaled at three;
then came crop, and it was retailed at three
and the dealers were charged two and one-half
cents. Now the drop is to two cents retail,
and he cannot get more than one and a half
cents at wholesale. Thel ef're he loses full
cent on a claimed circulation of 100000, which
represents daily loss of 81 900. The adver-
tislng patronage of the Herald obliges it Ito
print supplements continually, and hence the
receipts of the concern at one and one-ha]f
cents per copy will scarcely pay for the wLite
paper alone COZ sumed. Hence the larger the
circulation Of the Helald the more money II
will lose on 1t. The Sun is placed in a still
moro oisagreeable position by this last reduc-
ton and finds the ground absolutely cut
from under It's feet. I venture the
prophecy that Mr.. Dana wi be soon
obliged either to reduce the price of the Sun
to one cont, and fght for existence with the
Truth, the Journal and the News, OF enlarge
his sheet to double its present size and double
his expenses at the same time. I look upon a
certain upshot to be the consolidation of sew
eral of the present dallies; that some will sus-
pend, and that the survivors will be pretty SER
| iouslv damaged by the enormous reduction in
price"