The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-22

1t is for the especially thai
/ to peak. The newspapers
and periodicals had a reported capital
investment of two hundred and thirty
nine million dollars (239, 600, 000), Of
which nearly one hundred million $780,
900, 000) represented machinery, tools
and implements. They paid salaries and
wages amounting to one hundred and
six millions dollars ($106, 600, 000) per
annum to $4,000 workers. They paid
ifty-eight million dollars ($58, 000, 00O)
per annum for their principal article of
paper. They represented the
intellectual growth of the country, they
expressed it's desires.
Yet SO scrupulous were they in the
subordination of their own and imme-
date interests to those of the varying
constituencies which hey represented,
that they submitted without material
protest to exactions and expressions
which no other interest would have toll
Grated. While all others were CONSOLE
dating and planning to enrich them
selves at the general expense, the pub
fishing interests were maintaining a
competition that reduced their sub
scription prices to the lowest limit. The
newspapers of the that reach
ed the minimum in price had increased
their average size from 5 7-1O pages in
1890 to 3 bio age in 1905.
They improved their product and ex-
tended their scope until the circulation
OF the daily averaged one
copy per day to every four of the en-
tire population of the country. But all
the ene1ts arising from the introduce
ton of type-setting machines, the per-
lection of the printing press and the
cheapness of the cost of white paper by
the use of mechanically ground wood
and the Improvement of fast running
paper making machinery, were given TO
the public.
Within the five years from 1900 to
1905, capital to the extent of forty
Snyva1 rnil1Jnn 6nIlorn (&Az nm 000S
had been added to the investment for
and periodicals; but the
product per thousand dollars ($1,OO0)
invested had declined from $1,4O9 in
1900 to $1,2S8 in 1905. During that
period the mechanical cost of output
had increased about 80 per cen For
many the increase in size
and the increase in circulation had
not been attended by corresponding
increase in profit. The tendency to-
ward concentration and consolidation
in every other direction had increased
the cost Of every article supplied to
the newspaper, though it receives less
than formerly for the article itself.
Considering the care and attent1on
and energy and ability bestowed upon
it, the newspaper percentage OF proht
is less than that of any other manu-
featuring enterprise. gen
orally, the have
cred large increases in cost of produc-
ton and enormous decreases in earn
ing power with cuts in prices and cuts
in advertising rates. To meet COM
petition and save thmselves, some or
them have reduced in sheer despair
Unlike all The h it has reached a
point where it cannot readily pass
along its burden to its customers and
it cannot restore the conditions winch
prevailed prior to the time when II
gave away all of it's gains and tmproV-
ed facilities to the public. More than
that, it is loaded with the burdens arts
ing from the protection or every IN
terest with which it deals. Every ma
chine that the publishers buy-and they
have over one hundred million ollar
invested in machinery-has a tariff on
it whereby III manufacturer taxes
them unduly. Every ounce OF paper
they buy has a protective tariff behind
it to main prices.
vertise energetically, will TURF over
their stocks about seven times a year,
but-the largest paper manufactures in
the world-the International Paper
sixty million dollars ($60,0OO,O00),
does a gross annual business of only
twenty-one million dollars C$21,OO0,-
000), thus requiring three years to
turn over it's capital. 1t has watered
itself until it has no more money to
invest. 1t has borrowed upon every
thing it has. 1t can not earn any more
money unless it can do more business,
ana II CAN not 10 OC-
cause it has not the money with which
to do it.
Instead of accepting it's responsible
tiles and extending its business to
keep pace with the growth of its Gus
toners, the International Paper com
pany is producing less newSprint pa
per today than it turned out imme-
diatelv after its organization. The
available funds at it's command, which
should have been used for new paper
hi has onna toward the 9o-
quirement of 2,579 sQuare miles of
timber limits registered in one of the
Jour land offices in the province of
Quebec, Canada.
lied combinations, with their oppressive
weight of over-capitalization, and to
provide a pretext for protecting the la
Dor of 5000 paper mill employees, re-
ceiving less than nine million dollars
(S9, 900, 000) per annum, the publishing
business has been subjected to a series
of deliberately planned schemes of ex-
tortion.
The first step was accomplished in
the Dingley bill. so that publishers
could not buy paper elsewhere. The
next step was one that has just been
consummated. whereby, through com
binations made in defiance of the fed
eral courts, the supply has been
brought below the demand, the mar
ket has been starved, the surplus has
been exhausted, and the price for the
ton upon a consumption of 100000
tons, an addition of ten million dol
lars within one year. Increased cost
of manufacture does not justify such
an advance.
Aggravating that situation is a threat
of another advance of $40 per ton next
wear, or nine million dollars more. a
total of nineteen million dollars ad-
vance in two years bN an industry that
paws an aggregate of less than nine
million dollars a year to its LABOR,
while clamoring to congress ror a con