The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-02
tFlom Newspaperdom
WHERE FLAT RATE WORKS WELL
WHY IT'S EVERY WAY BEST

After nearly nine months experience with
a rate card based on the ''hat" principle
Business Manager o. +. Byxbce, Of the
Scranton Tribune, assures Newspaperdom that
he is convinced it is the only proper basis
on which to deal with his customers. More.
over Chat gentleman iustaably congratulatcs
himselD, his patrons are recognizing the
business Of the new programme.
The Tribune's schedule is as plain as il is
brief. Quotations for display are made on
the bulk sale plan, with graduated prices
per inch for less than 500 inches, 800 inches,
1900 inches, 5000 inches and 5000 inches;
and the advanced rates for ''sding on read
ing" and "full position are given in plain
figures. It is unnecessary to explain that
charges are conditioned on annual contracts.
No schedules are printed for either transient
orders or display in fixed space.
In The Tribune of December sth there WIS
a Talk by the Publisher that merits re.
production here in full since il not only sets
forth the considerations that led The Tribune
management to adopt the nat.rate principle,
but discusses in an able way problems and
experiences familiar to advertising managers
and publishers generally:
when The Tribune, on April 1st last,
adopted the fiat rate for advertisers, putting
all on an equality, it took long step for.
ward toward iignfying the busiress side
OF local journalism. The local custom used
to be, and to some extent still is, to solicit
advertising by quoting high price, and then
falling to whatever price the advertiser would
pay. This gave the latter the generally err
roneous impression that he was getting a
rare bargain, but it led to all kinds of dis.
elimination, some advertisers paying twice
as much as others for the same service; it
was unbusinesslikc, unfair, and, from the
standpoint Of newspaper self.respect, suicidal;
moreover, it was a business method that
the advertiser would not for moment tol.
crate in the sale of his own goods TO the
public.
''The absence Of definite fixed price for
advertising, and the taking Of business on
the anything .you.can-get principle, led to an.
other result unfair to the local advertiser
1t enabled the foreign advcrtiser-the patent
| medicine and proprietary article firm
/ through experienced advertising agents. to
| haggle with the flexible publisher for the best
I positions in the paper at the lowest rates,
| and to carry his point nine times out of ten.
We know Of instances in which the best
l spaces in some papers have been farmed out
| to foreign advertisers at from one-half to
| one.third the price demanded OF the local
merchant for inferior positions This IS
| grossly unjust, and utterly demoralizing to
newspaper values.
'The fiat rate, applied by The Tribune to
/ all but old.contract business, puts every
advertiser on an equality with every other.
The merchant who takes space in this paper
under its terms can rest assured that his
| competition in the next block is not receiving
a rebate or discount. Nor can any outsider
get into the paper on better terms than a
local patron. We. could print double, per.
haps treble, the quantity of foreign adverts-
ing which We are now carrying, il we would
shade the price. We could double our local
volume, but not value, OF business, IL will.
ing to join in a scramble for advertising
quantity regardless Of price. We charge
a fair price for a service than which there
is none better in our field and We stick to
the price This, we contend, is the only
business and equitable way'