Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-02-06
THAT GRAFT ~


ence depends upon it's ability to graft
the unions, may be termed trifie SLOW
in discovering what has always been a
matter of common knowledge, that a
combination existed between newspapers
for the purpose Of putting stop to the
ruinous competition between the papers
in bidding for the city printing.
There was no secrecy at all about this
matter. When the contract for last year
was let, the council suggested to the
HERALD editor that the one bid looked
like combination. to- which the writer
responed that there undoubtedly was.
that the newspapers. like the saw mills.
were at last becoming wise. The HERALD
has now iniits possession a wsrrant for
One cent, issued to it by the city in full
payment OF the city printing for an entire
| year, which is preserved as relic OF the
unsound business rules that then pre-.
vailed in the newspaper Offices of Ater-
deem.
1t was such competition as this that
resulted in combination, not to rob the
city, but to secure fair return for the
necessary labor and capital invested in
the business. just as low wages and long
hours led to the combination OF me.
chanics and laborers in the various
unions. newspaper is unable to pur-
chase days labor or dollars worth OF
material without butting up against a
combination to increase the price Of that
which it buys, and. if it pays the wages
demanded and its bills promptly it must
insist upon all there is coming to it, and
then the average country paper finds it
difficult to make ends meet.
The maximum price tor legal advertise
ing is fixed by law, and the writer has
never heard valid reason why any
Newspaper should do it for less. 1t is all
compulsory, so that low price causes no
increase of its volume, and if but COM
mon, everyday horse sense could he
pounded into the. craiums of the pub
fishers, there would not be a line OF such
publications done for less than rs cents
per inch for the first, and 371a cents for
subsequent. insertions. The attempt OF
the Post to hold up newspaper combin.
alton to derision in this city, be.:ays
more the jealousy Of an unsuccessful
competitor than any disposition to de.
nounce such actions on general princi.
Piles.
If the little CRATER really desires to
project the city against combinations, it
might be able to show where the cost Of
the new city hall has been enhanced
more than IS, 900 by the combinations Of
trades unions and the saw mills Of the
city. It could readily show-if it was
capable Of reasoning logically-that all
combinations to increase prices Of any
commodity, including labor, is detri'
mental. 1t might dwell upon the fact
that the people Of Aberdeen are being
skinned alive by the hurthful combina.
tons of the unions, the mills, the gro.
GERS. butchers, and 80 on right down the
line. But it won't.
For 20 years the HERALD has been do.
ing faithful duty for Aberdeen, and it
has no hesitancy in demanding its due
in the way of full payment for any SER
vice required by law, and, unlike its
jealous little neighbor, makes no hypo.
critical pretences of having desire to
bear any more of the burdens Of city
government than lite just proportion.
The Post has gotten itself into a
peculiar position in this affair. In tax
ing credit for causing the Bulletin to take
this contract at less than cost, it advo.
Gates low prices for work, and low prices
mean low wages. This is strange
attitude for paper that poses as the
Messiah Of labor unions and whose sole
mission in life is to strengthen the belief
that all other papers are opposed to
unions, so as to scare the shekels of the
unionist into Its Golfers.