Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-08-19
TIE NEWSPAPER BUSINESS.

states and yet there Is no other
branch OF business In regard to ~h'ch
such dense ignorance prevails as I"
cost and profit OF production
This is a matter which Is fast be-
coming of public concern. for the char
acter OF the American press and us
future influence as the protector Oh
American liberty depends upon IT,
Some extremely important facts
bearing upon the cost OF publishing
new spapers In the city OF New YORK
have recently been given In a brief
submitted by Mr.. John Norris. on be-
half OF the publishers. MIR. Norris Is
an acknowledged expert upon the SUB
tect Of which he writes. having long
beeu connected With the business de-
uartmeuts OF leading New York and
Philadelphia newspapers. He has
made an exhaustive investigation and
his brief 10 . document Of extraordi'
nary significance.
Mr.. Norris does not hesitate to say
that there IL now impending over the
daily newspaper pre1D Of New York
ne most serious menace that ever
coufronted II. This is strong Ian
guage. and yet k:s statement OF facts
seems to warrant It. An additional
burden OF $4,000. 900 = year in the ex.
psuse account Of sixteen daily news
papsrs constitutes the menace OF
witch Mr.. Norris speaks. but there Is
l,sges menace than that back OF
thGss agures, Of which account will
b Givea lates on. This $1,000. 900 a
year Of ADDED expense includes 49,
lee,eo0 for white paper. 100000 I'D.
aitsousi for compssitors. 100000 ad'
Aitioaal tor steFeotypers. and 10000
sAaiejenal .or oehse labor. Mr.. Nor
~ Asclsrse that no more than four
papsrs oat Of ~ sixteen which he
|resrsssats could make both ends
neet upoa such terms. He Odds that
tAsss stxtsea papers pay >1,soo.OoO .
near trsbsts 10 organised hbor-that
| y % ~. tha& 10 the additional cost
a 0 closed shop over IN open one.
He Il not antagouixing the closed
shop, the psinciple Of which he &C
cspGs, but he asks how long the news
papsrs win 10 able 70 meet these ad-
dit3ooal charges upon them. I'VE
are" - says. '-approachins that limit
where our necessities may force W
b stop"
Here are some additional facts
picked at random from Mr. Norris
hsSss: Ninety per cent Of all news
papse circulation In New York City
10 a the o0ecent basis. The sale Of
aAvsFtisiag space 10 also ON a declin'
isg rate. Sinos 1896 the earning pow.
Or per column OF most OF the New
York papers has been reduced. A BOW
Jssful eombisatjoa Of dry goods mer-
chants has operated to reduce the line
charge. This Cry goods combination
| stayed out Of The World for seven
| months. boycotted The Sun at the
time OF tn labor trouble. and has been
out OF The Times for about four years.
When The New York World reduced
he price OF ~ paper from cents to
Fl cent. II gained $1,000 circulation in
three veeks, but gave up $1,000 day.
Se1:. 90 Q year In. revenue. and added
let lsase oSse Q day TO It's expenses.
That meant . Ioss OF $4,000 . year
In gross revenue. Mr.. Norris went on
10 cay that The New York Times Is
prosperins. but that the iact vas pain
fully evident that its pront for Ions
period would not pay for the addition
q cost On IL new building. which vas
put upon II by the many unions In
Aghts to which The Times was not q
PARTY. These lights added $s3s.0O0 to
the cost Of construction. The Herald
u q scent paper and can afford man,
extravagances and submit to many ex
actions, but there are extremes be
yond wljch l-cent papers cannot 90
The demands. he declared. are verg
ing upon the point OF putting up some
newspaper shutters. The New Yorl
World pays out $500. 900 . year fo'
labor. This 10 at the rate Of $50.00<
} Ia week. and the remarkable fact Il
stated that there are 1000 men nov
Ill ~onolcn 1rne