Evening journal., 1898-01-29
LITTLE NEwsBoYs ROBBED

LITTLE NEWSBOYS ROBBED
Now that the Every Evenings much
talked-of ten-cents-a-month, house-to-
house canvass for subscribers for that
morlbund paper has ended, the cupidity
and utter hypocrisy of the vaunted
philanthropy of its managers in deliv-
ering copy of the Every Evening at
the door of the subscriber for three
months for thirty cents is laid bare.
The house-to- house canvass for sub
scribers to the Every Evening for three
months at ten cents a month, just COM
pleted, under the pretence OF increas-
ing the circulation of the Every Even
ing, hides a purpose so sinister as to be
almost beyond belief. Il is nothing
more or less than the robbing of the
newsboys of the city of the fruits of
their industrious service in behalf of
that paper Boys who have for months
and years been engaged in building.up
newspaper routes find themselves de-
frauded by this canvass. The new
subscribers bOasted of by the publish
ers Of the paper are really nothing
more than the old customers Of the
newsboys transferred to the list OF di-
rect customers of the office. In short,
the publishers have underbidden their
own newsboys and robbed them OF GUS
toners and route rights, many of
which they paid literally to obtain.
Newspaper routes are valuable
things They are bought and sold just
the same as milk routes. They are
built up by time and labor and finan-
cial risk Men and boys who are in
dustrious enough to build them up are
entitled TO protection, and most of all
from the newspapers which they pa
tronize. In the face of this the Every
Evening has sent out canvassers among
these route customers and offered tc
serve the paper for three months fol
thirty cents, knowing full well that the
newsboys must charge seyenty-fvt
cents for the papers they serve for the
same length of time.
Newsboys all over the city are com
planning that the office canvasseri
have taken their customers away from
them by this undertaking process.
is one of the most shameful pieces o
robbery that was ever perpetrated b.
paper upon its carriers.
The papers subscribed for by the Gus
toners of the newsbOys may be count
ed by the Office as new subscribers, bu
they in no sense enlarge the circula
tion. It is like taking money out {
one pocket and putting 1t in anothe'
and imagining that a person is richie
thereby The mere fact that the sui
scription list Of no other paper in tow
has been affected iby the canyass of III
Every Evening is proof in itself thl
the carriers and nswsboys are the onl
persons who suffer by reason of II.
In order that the public may full
understand the plan to rob the boys I
their routes, the following example wi
explain the scheme:
The papers are sold to the boys
one-half cent each, and by the boys
their customers for one cent, or f
twenty-five cents month. Thus, ol
hundred papers, to the boys, for
month, costs the boy $3.50. who
turn receives $25, the boy's profit bel
at the rate of $3.50 a hundred p
month for serving them.
Now the publishers step in and off
TO serve the Every Evening direct fro
the Office for three months for thiI
cents not only taking away from {
boy the goodwill he has in many cas-
paid good hard cash for, but TAXI
his profit OF $3.50 a hundred pap
per month BY this move the Ev,
Evening gets only $40 a month
hundred for the first three months
il gets possession of the boys rou
and customersfor Indifference betw'
$40 and$l2.5O for threemonths, plus
trihe it costs to deliver the pape
about 81 per thousand.
Any schoolboy can figure out {
the Every Evening in this insidi
canvass, gets all the newsboy's c
toners at an expenditure of less d
three cents apiece and a profit to
Every Evening, over and above W
it received before this house-to-ho
canvass, Of $3.50 per year on eV
paper.
The newsboy gets nothing, and
no incentive in the future for built
up a route with the assurance sta
him in the face that when he has es
lished it on paying basis that
Every Evening will step in and :
cut his business by another sp,
canvass.
Theodore Townsend, editor OF
Union Republican organ. the Nil
Chronicle. writing from way dow