Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-17
Mr.. Chas. A. Dana's Address Before
the Cornell Students.
COST OF PRODUCING TIE DAILY PAPER
His Comments on the Different
Departments.
NEWSPAPER QUALIFICATIONS

Mr.. Charles A. Dana, editor of the New
York Sun, contributed an interesting addi-
ton to the literature of newspaper max
ing when he delivered an address last Fri
day before the students of Cornell Univer-
sity on the occasion of Founders day. His
topic was THE Conditions Usefulness and
Future of the Press" After a few pre-
liminary remarks about the kinds of men
of thought who go to make up the INTEL
lectual progress OF the age, he said 'The
newspaper is an article of primary neces-
sity. You must have your breakfast, but
you must have your newspaper, too. With
out it We do not know what has happened
in the world We dent know what new
ideas, what shocking events, what we'll
founded or fantastical hopes are moving
before the minds of the masses of men.
We don't even know who is married."
A Learned Profession.
Mr.. Dana said that the newspaper pro-
fession was learned in one sense-a pro-
fession in which the utmost amount of
learning can be put to use. He was
sorry to say that there are newspapers in
which learning is very sparingly applied,
and in which more facts and better logic
would be an improvement The newspaper
is very much like human nature, some
times right, but pretty often wrong. On
the whole, there Is no question that the
newspaper is not only a needful institu-
ton, but useful, advantageous and bene-
fetal.
The business of making newspapers, said
Mr.. Dana, is going through q revolution
The changes through which it is passing
are very radical, and are due largely to
the improvement of the mechanism and
the invention of new machinery, that
| makes 1t possible to publish the enormous
editions of the day. He spoke at some
hA at in n, 81
presses, type-setting machines and paper
making processes. The cost of paper, he
said, has decreased to the point where
large editions are not only possible, but
profitable. He paid tribute to Justly
distinguished statesman of New York.
who, instead of being called by his first
name. has been popularity known as
"Woodpulp." Mr.. Dana probably referred
to Mr.. Warner Miller, whose extensive
paper mills supply large proportion of
that material in the east. To him, said the
famous editor, the people owe great graf
itude for his contributions for making
newspaper and diffusing views that do not
always accord with his own. Mr.. Dana
evidently paid his share of the general
tribute in all sincerity.
Cost of Producing the Daily Paper.
Abiding to the cost OF producing the
daily paper. Mr.. Dana said that million
dollars is not in the least excessive as an
original investment for The establishment
of new journal. In the great city OF New
York, he said. one of the biggest items is
the rent that must he paid for quarters Dy
those papers that 90 not own their own
homes. The million dollars, ne said, is
necessary, not to pay the natural losses Of
an enterprise just begun, but to carry On
the regular business. to run the work at a
reasonable cost, so that the establishment
may not be swallowed up by expenses that
might be avoided.
Leaving the mechanical part OF the paper.
he said that there is question ci.at pre-
paper will you make? That question:, he
said, may be divided into two l'arts; first.
will you make a newspaper for sensible
people, or will you make newspaper Tor
fools? Now. 1 would not be understood as
intimating that there is anything unworthy
or below anybodys dignity in making a
there is impressive evidence to show that
munity; and we have the most unluestion-
| able testimony when We turn TO the proph-
| ct Isaiah, who says empaatica!ly, Ill speak
| ing OF the way of holiness, that me way
| faring men, though fools, shall not err
| therein So that it is perfectly rght 10
| provide for the fools in special newspapers;
| and that duty, as you may have noticed,
| is extensively and eonscientiously perform
| and / have heard that some OF them make
| 1 find more entertainment il making a
| newspaper that tries TO De of :hc other
| kind"