New-York tribune., 1902-07-25
THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER.
SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS GATH
Erred By A CENSUS EXPERT
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I


Washington. July 24-William S. Rossiter. OF
New-York, expert special agent of the Census Bu-
reau, has prepared report of unusual interest on
printing and publishing in the United States IN the
last decade The statistics he has gathered show
that there has been radical change in the gath
erlng Of news or in the management and scope Of
daily newspapers. One characteristic Of the dec
ade. however, was the great increase IN the guam
tity of published. Partly because of the
ambitious and progressive spirit of the PERIOD,
says Mr. RossiteT, land partly because Of the Law
ish expenditures OF capital made by reorganiZed or
newly established publications in order 10 break
into the patronage Of prosperous competitors and
secure a foothold, the dailies of the great cities
became the purveyors of the news of the world to
an extent never before attempted. In many cases
especially in New-York City-it freely ad-
mitted that this expenditure carried beyond
the boundaries OF business prudence"
On the subject of the principal sources Of news
paper income and expenditures Mr.. Rosster says:
By 1900 it had become customary for large adver-
sers 10 form combinations; it is said that the pat
ronage of fewer than twenty advertisers forms
more than half the total quantity Of advertIsing
appearing IN the daily newspapers OF New OL a
City. The only source OF income in the field
tobaccos' whiskeys' cereals and books OF these
interests the publisher formerly the most conser-
professional advertising agent might be termed an
other cause OF loss to the daily papers to the the
opposing perplexties OF SompstiIi3n ana com 0lha "a
the advertising earning power OF leading news
papers.
After passing 100000 circulation the value of adj
vertisng becomes race between the receipts from
that source and the cost of white paper Ihe
advertising in of the New-York evening papers
with circulation much exceeding 100000 was recent
ly declared TO entail of q per line for
a circulation of huge proportions confronts the
necessity of securing from his advertising patrons
return of the cost of the paper space which they
occupy, with a margin of profit. For reasons al
ready noted, the profit is in many cases uncert am
and, the decade drew TO close for certain
newspapers in the great cities new problem arose
become
communication with surrounding territory 60 easy
that systematic search for circulation had been re-
warded by enormous sales, the penalty for Which
was reduction complete wiping out Of profits on
Is easy TO stop, and the serious nature OF this
problem appeared when the cost OF white paper
User At the close OF the decade such possibility
confronted several American daily newspapers.
Decentralization necessitated also an Increase In
capital invested in plant, with the added burden
1t may be said, therefore, that at the close Of
the decade from 1880 TO 1900 the daily newspaper
was more of public institution than ever before,
because it sacrificed increased share OF It's rev
enue for the public benefit, obtaining no compen-
satng financial return from either purchaser or
advertiser. This condition very much 20
the advantage of the public, but one which tended
TO periods of reduced dividends in those establish
ments appearing TO be most prosperous. Daily
publca tionS suffered from the rage for enlarged
business and narrow pTohts SO CHARACTERISTIC OF
which other caIngs found In combinations was
not open to the publishers OF daily newspapers be-
cause the inequalities of circulation forever make
combinations of newspapers impossible Prosper
ity for the daily newspaper clearly lies in middle
course if conditions permit, with respect TO both
news and circulation The changes which occurred
IN weekly publications during the last decade were
not such as 10 merit more than passing considera-