The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-12-19
THE FRENCH PAPERS.
The Richest Papers in the World
Are Probably in Paris.
How The Figaro Divides It's Profits
The Petit Journals Charges
for Advertising-Paid-
for News Items.
1.-THE Journalist. ]

THE Journalist
We Americans are very apt to believe that
we have the best Of everything that goes.
We are, among other things, fond Of boast
ing that We have the biggest papers and the
largest circulations, and we charge the
biggest prices for advertising.
Yet the richest papers in the world are
probably in Paris; that is to say, the papers
that pay the biggest profits. We are apt to
counterfeit amazement when we are told that
The Sun makes s2O0,0O0 a year, and that
Dana's own income 10 In the neishporhvou or
100000 a year. But that is nothing COM
pared with the income Of the Levys, of The
London Telegraph, and certainly not to be
compared with the income derived by the
proprietor Of The Petit journal, in Paris.
For long time past, the
head man of that concern, who
used to be workman at 3
francs day, has made an average Of 2,00O,-
200 francs profit year, or about $40O, 900.
His paper is about the size Of The Daily
News here, and the price is / cent 1t is
claimed that The Petit Journal has circula-
tion Of 1000 copies a day. 1t, Of course,
goes throughout France.
But The Paris Figaro is the most remarka-
BILE paper of all as regards the division of its
profits. 1t has circulation of not much
more than 80, 900. On some days-Saturday
for instance-the circulation runs up to l20, :
0OU. When the late DIR. Villemessaul, the
proprietor of The Figaro died, he left the paper
to the three men who had done the most to
aid him But there were many old con-
tributors to The Figaro-men with we'll
known names, who made an outcry at this
division Of the property. They insisted they
ought to have been consulted, and they
threatened to leave the establishment In q
body and found a new Figaro. This alarmed
the three principals, and they made propo-
sition to the recalcitrant gentlemen. 1t was
TO the effect that they themselves should take
each $50, 900 out Of the concern yearly, and
that the other men should each have a
salary of $1,000 for the work they were
TO do, and at the end of the year they should
draw another 5000 out of the profits, thus
insuring them Sl2, 900 a year apiece, larger
salary than any editor in America gets to-
day. Yet these men do not write an average
of more than half a column day each-if,
indeed, that much, so that they have a very
easy time of it. 1t is one of the conditions
that when any of them dies his share goes to
the others, SO that the last one who remains
will have an enormous income, something
like 500, 900 a year. Beyond salaries and so
on out of the profits, there il q large sum put
by as a sinking fund 1t now amounts to
over 81, ,00O, 900, and they don't know what to
do with it,
We are apt to consider 80 and 40 cents q
line for advertising a pretty high price in
our daily papers The price The Petit Jour
nal charges per line is So, and for reading
matter sl2. The regular price Of The Figaro
is a. a line, and for reading notices SS. For
an article lately published about the Panama
canal scheme, taking about three-quarters Of
a column on the first page, the company paid
$4,000 Another popularity Of The Figaro,
and of most Of the French papers, is that
they rent out the financial column by the
year to anybody who wants it. A WELL
known banking house pays The Figaro I60,-
QUO francs a year for the use of their imam
cial column, and puts in whatever it pleases.
They have ten years contract.
But moro singular still, from the American
point of view, is that The Figaro will not
mention any watering place in its columns az
news Our papers devote pages during
season at Saratoga, Long Branch, Newport,
etc, and consider II a matter Of news. Every
line The Figaro publishes about Tronville, or
Dieppe, or Eice Is paid for at ~ line. The
hotel keepers do 1t, and this source of income
is one Of the largest the paper has. Nor will
The Figaro mention social events of any sort,
excepting the very high.placed people, such
as the Comte de Paris, unless they are paid
for. There is a man who used to be stroll
ing actor, who couple Of years ago had q
large fortune left He bought the title Of an
Italian duke and the estates, and is very
anxious to shine in Partisan circles. He
gives splendid receptions, and pays IS line
In the Figaro to have the accounts published.
He has been worth to that paper for the past
year about $4,000 in this way. All his
movements are chronicled. As well as we
at present remember the name of this man it
is the duke of Campo Cenari. But he is ono
of many people who do the same thing.
Thus IL viii be seen what opportunities the
French papers have which our own do not
Il Il true that in Chicago this system Is ex
tensively employed, but nowhere else, and at
nothing like the prices charged In France.