The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-09-24
The Print Situation.

The Print Situation.
In commenting on meeting of pub.
fishers in New York City the Fourth
Estate of September 14,says the prin-
cipal theme Of discussion was the
white print paper situation.
Z" The presence Of so many
newspaper publishers in New York
affords convenient opportunity for a
discussion that shall go to the bottom
of the most important matter connect
ed with newspaper production in
America today.
Since the Spanish war, nine years
ago, the circulation of newspapers in
this country has grown enormously.
In some instances the gain has been
the reward of hard, persistent and
well-dlrected work by publishers. In
other cases 1t seems to have come OF
its own accord without special effort
by the papers.
The continuance of general pros
perity, the increase in population, the
spread Of popular education, a quick
ened eagerness to know what is going
on in all parts of the world and the
crowding Of great events affecting
this republic are among the causes to
which the amazing growth Of news
paper reading is attributed.
Whatever the reasons for 1t may be,
the situation is full Of difficulty for
the publishers. At the best there is
little profit in newspaper sales and at
the worst there is a heavy loss, that
grows heavier as the price of paper
rises. A 70 page newspaper costs the
publisher more for paper alone than
he gets from the newsdealers. The
situation has been hard enough dur.
ing the present year, with paper at
S1.95 hundred pounds in carload
lots.
For next year. the Independent
paper makers are quoting $3.50 and
$2.7O. The international Paper Com
pany is making no quotations at ALL
but informs publishers that it has no
paper for sale at present.
Scarcity Of Paper.
The season has been bad in the
paper trade, because the summer was
dry and the streams that furnish
power were low. The destruction OF
the forests is an old story and at the
present rate Of consumption the end
of the pulp supply is not far ahead.
Publishers who usually have at this
time of the year paper enough to last
two or three months say they have
only one months supply on hand and
that deliveries on existing contracts
are very slow.
From time to time reports have
been heard of new Inventions for
making paper from other material
than wood pulp. But none of these
devices has yet been found to be
commercially profitable.
Inasmuch as the revenue of a news,
paner comes mostly from advertise.
ments an obvious method of relief
from present difficulties would be to
increase rates. Such a course might
be justified, it is said, not merely by
pleading higher expense of news.
paper production, but by the powerful
argument of the great increase in cir
culation,
On the other hand, It is said that In
large cities particularly advertisers
are paying all they can be induced to
pay. Granting all that is urged about
good times, steady employment att
high wages and the swelling of the
army Of newspaper readers, general
advertisers say that there is some,
thing to be considered on the other
side.
For example, the crusade against
proprietary medicines which has been
going on for two years is alleged to
have diminished the sales of honest
and meritorlous articles as well as Of
fakes and frauds. and therefore adver;
Using Is not productive enough to
warrant an increase in rates.
1t is also to be considered that
weeklles Of national circulation and
magazines are going after newspaper
advertisers with a falrmeasure of sue;
cess and are, of course ready to take
advantage Of any false move made BY
their rivals.
A fewSdays ago aireporter for the|
Fourth Estate saw asletter from 4
general agent TO- newspaper pub I
Usher who had raised his rates The