The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-18
STICK TO YOUR RATES.
Evils Attendant Upon Sliding Scale of Adj
vertising Prices
Tho Journalist.

The Journalist.
There is such sharp rivalry among certain
classes of publications that ruinOuS war of cut
ting advertising rates has been going on for some
time. 1t has come to pass now that the adver
Using agent insolently losses an advertisement
to one of these smaller sheets with much the
same air one would throw bone to a starving
cur and has the impudence, in addition, to
make his own rates for the space, generally
about one half lower than the regular tariff of
the paper. In too many cases these offers are
accepted and the publisher. overanxious for a
show of business, does not seem to see that in
cutting his rates he is cutting his own throat
with the same knife Reading notices, extra
to deprive the publisher of any legitimate profit
and make the newspaper business more and
more of wildcat venture.
A paper with sliding scale of rates can have
no hope for permanent success. Sooner or later
the advertisers who pay regular rates will dis
cover the swindle and demand either to come in
on the lower plane will stay out altogether.
A fair, nfexible advertising rate is the first and
most solid element of success in any paper
which hopes 10 obtain any permanent prosper
ty. This evil is entirely due to the weakness
and shortsightedness of the business manager.
But there is another practice which is of the
advertisers making and through which the adj
vertiser is the greatest sufferer. 1t is rather
strange that business men fail to see the ruinous
policy of trade advertising. Yet large number
of advertisers are willing to go into papers if
the the publisher will take the price of the
space out in trade" At the first glance it looks
a very pretty scheme for the manufacturer; he
pays in goods at his long price and makes his
profit as q sort of rebate on the price of the adj
vertisement But like all men who go into
pretty schemes he generally gets the worst of it,
Not long ago o manufacturer of turbine
wheels placed his advertisement in q small me-
chanica1 paper and agreed to pay for it in tur-
bine wheels. The paper was long on turbines
and naturally wanted to realize. In consequence
another advertisement appeared in the same
sheet offering to sell turbine wheels of that par
ticuar make at 80 per cent less than factory
prices The wheel man howled, but could do
nothing His prices were cut and he had to sub
NIT.
1t has come to pass now when man who is
alive to his chances would not think of paying
full list price for typewriter. Six out of every
ten of the publications which carry advertise
ments of typewrting machines do it wholly or
part In trade Sewing machines are on the same
level, and as natural consequence the market
price of a typewriter sewing machine bears
no relation to the manufacturers list price,
but depends entirely upon the bargain the pur-
chaser can make with the publisher who has
taken them in payment for advertising On the
other hand trade advertising puts the publisher
who accepts it in the undignihed position of
peddler of other mems wares-an occupation
neither pleasant nor in the long run remunera-
tive.
stick to your rates and no trade" is motto
which should be burned into the brain of every
newspaper publisher who hopes to be successful
or respected