The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-02
THE NEWSPAPER AND ITS PRICE.

or glass of beer-for an accurate and elaborate
compilation of the news of the world. Every
portion of this earth is under supervision to
furnish the daily press with the doings OF
humanity in every country under the sun.
Does country in the Orient fire a hostile gun
at some ancient enemy, the echo has scarcely
rolled away until the news is in type on the
opposite side of the globe, with all the partic-
ulars and fair estimate Of the probable out
come of the struggle. On the occasion of the
great speech of Mr.. Gladstone in advocacy of
his Irish home-rule bill, the speech in detail
was in the hands of the American reader be-
fore five hours had elasped from it's delivery
in the British House Of Commons. 1t is so
With all manner of important news in any
part of the world. There is a vaster army of
employees in the service Of the American press
than in almost any other enterprise in the
world. The product of this great body of
men is the daily paper, and it is sold at the
nominal sum Of five cents. In truth, the
paper is fairly given away at that price; since,
did the publishers of the daily paper depend
onthe sales of papers alone, they could not
afford to sell them at less than ten times that
Bum, and the number of subscribers would
have to be kept up to the present standard.
The eightpage paper that attempts to sell at
less than five cents is certain to lose in it, and
must look to other sources to make good the
loss 1t is safe to say that no man ever spends
. 'snickep that brings such rich returns
rs when he buys a daily paper. In
Is he finds the news Of the world
carefully collected the doings Of every i'm
portant legislative body in the world; the con-
aition of crops in all the grain growing coun-
tries; the movements of all the nations on the
globe; the accidents by fire, by food, by
storm, everywhere; the state of the markets,
domestic and foreign, with the price of every
commodity offered for sale or in demand; the
legislative proceedings, State and national, in
this country; the news of the day of every de-
Bcription, and all collected with that fidelity
that insures its trus tworthiness. In addition
10 these features, there are others scarcely less
valuable There is much for the delectation
and information of every member of The
household, to do without which would be we'll
nigh impossible. The local news and gossip
are looked after and collated; there are care
fully prepared editorial expressions on all the
current topics that engage the attention of the
people; there are the latest notes on the fash
lens of the two hemispheres there is column
after column of miscellaneous reading enough
TO make a fair-sized volumn. The daily paper
Is the product of thousands of trained men
and women, and is produced only by the out
lay of tens of thousands of dollars daily. The
amount asked for it is insignificant compared
with other articles, and we do not believe
that there is any demand for it at less than
the price asked.
1t is not to be denied that the public would
take advantage of cheaper rate if it were
offered, but there is no indication that the
public deem the prevailing price unreason-
able. There can be but one.explanation of
voluntary reduction of the price, and that is
desire to swell the circulation. But this can
be accomplished in that manner only at
pecuniary loss that must be made
up in some other direction. The
eight-page papers that are worth anything at
nll that are selling at three cents, with the in
tention of increasing their circulation, are be-
Ing circulated at loss This is fact that
cannot be denied. We do not mean to
say that the enterprise as whole. is losing
money, bat that, so far as the circulation is
concerned, there is no profit in it, and the
readers are, after all, the losers, for the char
acter invariably and inevitably deteriorates.
just at this time this is very bad idea, when
every workingman in the country, almost, is de-
manding an increase of wages. To sell paper
for three cents that has been selling for five
means that somebody has to be pinched
There can be no other conclusion. If the pa
pers have passed over the Office counter at
three cents, they must now be sold for two or
less. The man or boy who made two cents
copy for the trouble and expense of selling or
delivering them must be content with one OF
little more. To accommodate the new order
OF things everybody, from beginning to end,
must be pinched to accommodate the new sell
Ing price. In saving the reader two cents
day for six days in the week (the three cent
papers generally sell for five on Sunday the
earnings of scores Of carriers are cut down in
a way that means distress in too many cases.
1t is not apparent that the public care to save
at the exnensa of this class of nannle Tharo