The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-16


He can buy his four pages Of plates for
nbout eight dollars a week, and can, If be
uses good taste in tho selection, give his
readers articles by the very best writer's, IL
Illustrated by leading newspaper artists, mat
Ter which would cost him twenty-five or
thirty dollars a column If he had 70 buy 10
for himself. The fact that the same matter
IS used by another paper in another town
doe not interfere with its value % him in the
least. and it enables the plate matter concerns
70 furnish it 20 him at a surprisingly low
figure
He will need type enough TO set four pages,
with a fair margin for standing matter and
emergencies. or about 215 pounds. This win
cost him, II new, about fty-iive cents pound
or n purchased second hand about twenty
cents pound Cases 10 hold the type im-
posing stones, composing sticks, galleys, fur
niture sidcsticks aud all the smaller items
required ia the composing room, which are
so triang in themselves, but which mount
up so in the long run, will cost him about
<lO0 more His press, If run by hand power
and very good presses some Of them are,
too-can be bought for from $500 TO $1,000
All this material can be purchased for COM
paratively small cash payments and chattel
mortgages But 10 is more economical IN the
long run to buy for cash and get the benefit
of the large discounts allowed. Office rent
varies so much in different localities that it
would be impossible % take IL into considera-
tion in general article.
Roughly speaking a man is very foolish TO
attempt 20 start q country weekly with less
than two thousand dollars capital, and II ho
has four thousand his chances OF success
other things being cqual-are doubled.
For adaily, the cost Of the plant, except for
white paper, is not so much larger as one
would at first glance suppose The daily Is
not, as a rule, so large as the weekly, and
while the Office expenses, c0mpositors, editors
and assistants ineyery department are largely
increased, not very much more type and ma
feral will be required than on a weekly. Tho
cost Of type setting varies In different locali-
ties, but good compositors can be had at from
Sl2 10 SIS IA week a weekly viii require two
or three, "A daily eight or nine. On weekly
the editor is frequently a practical printer
and can take hand at the case or the make
up. he is also his own editor, business manager
and reporter, or he may have ore assistant at
an average salary Of SIS a week.
The salary list Of country weekly in a
small town should not &c above $40 a week.
1t frequently does not reach S2j. A daily
cannot be run for much less than $50 week
expended in salaries alone. Tho service OF
ono Of the press associations will cost about
$40 OF $50 a month, and about 50 a week
extra for Geographic tolls. varying accord
ing to the location Of the paper This ex-
pense can be avoided by use Of news plates"
IL the location Of the paper viii admit OF such
81 arrangement
in tho establishment Of either a small daily
or country weekly the arrangements are very
inexpensive and simple In comparison TO those
necessary for the establishment Of a daily In
one Of the larger cities. There we have 70
take into the calculation the cost Of CORE
epondents IN various points a large force OF
compostors. editors proolreaders and the
like The New York World has, FOR exam
rle. over O0Orogular employees on rs salary
ist, ana tine wcgAiy pay loi amounts 10 w
wards Of $1,000
In addition 10 those who are regularly on
gagged by the paper there are nearly 100
more correspondents scattered AL over the
world, who are paid for what they send IN.
There are papers in New York which have
been losing anywhere from 500 70 S2,oO
week Tor the last six or seven years aud
which are merely kept alive TO crafty the
ambition OF the uNncfa OF ID r'iNo tuo eiuo
of party. The presses alone on which The
World is printed cost an aggregate Of $780,
0OO, aud the money IL spends every week for
paper and ink would keep many country
weekly going for year.
With less than quarter Of million dol
lars capital 10 would be worse than folly 20
attempt % start a daily morning paper in
New York. The idea that there is 'no ROOM
for one is the veriest nonsense. There Is
always room for a newspaper which Is better
which viii please the public better than
those which now exist What is needed to
start one Is plenty Of money 20 spend and
plenty Of nerve and brains 10 direct the ex-
pendlture
In calculating on four page paper, the
proportion Of space occupied by the several
departments varies. because The second page
rarely has more than TWO columns Of news
and the editorial therefore takes up heavier
per cent. Surprising the four page paper 70
he seven columns 10 a page and u contain ten
columns Of advertisements, the space occu-
pied by news will be about ~ follows:
Local columns; Washington, I column;
tei'egapa columns. forelgn, column: ed- /