Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-11
THE EVENING NEWSPAPER.
Its Importance as Shown by Census Fig
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\ bulletin OH printing and publish
ing, issued recently from the census
bureau. indicates a most decided adj
vance in the number of evening news
papers compared with the number
of morning papers. DAILY evening
newspapers says the bulletin, Elm
creased more rapidly than daily
morning papers. In 1890 there were
two evening papers to every morn
ing paper; in 1900 the proportion was
about one to three"
Among the general conclusions of
the bulletin are the following:
The proportion of inhabitants to
dailies decreased in thirty-one states
and territories, showing Il marked
gain in the number of dailies in pro-
portion to the population. All states
bordering upon the great lakes, and
fifteen out of twenty-one seaboard
states showed an increase in the pro-
portiOnate number of daily news
papers to the plumber of inhabitants
The states I'M which the daily lost
ground were, nj General, those in the
far northwest, where the weekly
made its principal gain.
when the two branches of the in
dustry are separated-as far as pos
sible-the total value of all book and
job printing products is about equal
to the total value of all distinctive
newspaper products; the former, in
Guiding the printing and publishing
of music. being S16S, 930.7O7, or 4S.7
per cent of the total, and the latter
$175, $40, or 5O.7 per cent of the
total.
1.-The capital invested in both
branches of this industry showed a
marked increase. while the value of
products per establishment declined.
The number of establishments in the
newspaper and periodical branch,
proportionately eighty-three to ev-
cry one hundred publications in 1890,
remained nearly stationary in 1900,
bred publications.
''Of all newspaper and periodical
establishments 1913 per cent were
owned by individuals, 1917 per cent
in partnership and only II per cent
by corporations, Indicating that COM
binations of any consequence are UNI
likely in this industry.
During the decade there was an
increase in the proportion of daily,
tri-weekIy, semi-weekly and monthly
publications, Indicating that the first
three mentioned have attracted sup
port from the weekly. and that the
monthly has drawn away support
from the quarterly.
weekly publications were most
numerous in proportion to inhabi-
tants in the west and northwest.
New England ranked in dailies, but
low in weeklies, suggesting that in
that densely settled region the daily
had to some extent supplanted the
weekly. During the decade the num-
Der of inhabitants to each weekly
publication increased in twenty-siX
out of forty-niHe states, but in less
than half of the states and territories
did the increase in the number of
weeklies keep pace with the increase
in population.
There was a marked decline in
the proportion of publications devot-
ed to special topics, and an advance
only in the classes devoted to news
topics and to general reading.
"Of all the minor geographical di-
visions the southern north Atlantic
New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl-
the most striking adj
vance in the proportion of the total
reported. In circulation
of daily newspapers all states and
territories showed decided increase.
In circulation of weekly publications
the southern south Atlantic group
showed a decrease, but all other
groups of states and territories show
ed moderate increase. In circula-
tion of monthly publications n de-
crease was shown in the southern cen
trail groups; elsewhere in the United
States the increase was very large"
The Washington Evening Star, in
on the above says: The
census statistics as to newspapers
and their readers contain no more
striking showing than that of the
marked growth of the evening paper
as compared with that published in
the morning. Whereas in 1890 there
were two evening papers printed to