The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-25
1BoUr "HAnpKR's MACHINE"
John w. Harper, Just Returned from
Abroad, Speaks of Its Future.

John w. Harper, just Returned from
Abroad, Speaks of Its Future.
Among tho prominent New Workers who
have spent portion OF the summer abroad Is
John W. Harper. the publisher. who returned
recently from q brief visit to his daughter.
Mrs Cow OF Glasgow. Scotland. Arriving in
the middle Of the hot wave. Mr.. Harper was In
q great hurry to escape from the city. and when
approached by the reporters. stated that his
trip had been entirely for pleasure. and that no
had nothing OF Importance to say on business
matters.
How about the recent reduction in price OF
Hdrper's Magazine" he was asked
WE'LL" said Mr.. Harper, that's along story
When the magazine was started nifty years
ago this June we were able to put II on
the market for 25 cents with reasonable
profit. The whole thing was on q smaller
scale and tho expense OF production was very
much less than at present. Do you realize the
tremendous increase which has been in the
cost OF the magazine. even before putting 1t
on the press? Well, the amount paid out to
the writer's and illustrators is Just about four
times as large to-day as 1t was even thirty
years ago. 1t has been our policy always to
maintain tho standard OF tho magazine both
literary and artistic, and toward the close OF
the Civil War we were compelled to raise the
price to 80 cents in order to do this The
magazine had increased In slze. the Illus
trations were much more numerous and elab-
crate aud the expense OF production was very
great
Shortly after the Civil War. Mr.. Alden. tho
present editor. took charge OF the magazine.
and under him 1t has risen to the position
which it now occupies. After tho increase in
price which was M AIDE in the fall OF 1864. tho
next important innovation was the establish
mont OF our English edition in 1880. During
the early seventies there had been a most
marked improvement in illustrative art. and
the magazine took at once on tho other side.
whore they had no illustrated publication
which could compare with it.
AS to the recent chan sc OF price, there Is
really very little to be said. In the past few
years the expense OF mechanical production
has been considerably decreased. owing chiefly
to the improvements which have been made in
printing machinery and the consequent saving
In hand labor. In view Of this decreased en-
pensc and increased circulation. we feel war
ranted in making the reduction.
"There will be absolutely no change in the
size. quality or policy Of the magazine. Mr.
Alden will continue to edit it. and in the years
to come it will reach an even higher level than
it has yet attained. The magazine was tho
medium through which many OF the most IA
nous works of Thackeray. Dickens. George
Eliot. Reade. Collins. Blackmore. Black and
DuMauror were first put before the American
people. and tho names OF Fitz James O'Bren
DeMie. George William Curtis. Charles Dud-
ley Warner and W. D. Howells are almost in
separately connected with its history 1t will
continue to be our effort to make it such q
magazine as will be sought by the best writer's
for the presentation OF their hest works.
t., AL hat
there will be no change in size or quality"
Mr.. Harper will spend the remainder Of tho
summer at his country home at Sands Point,
Long Island.