The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-10
WHERE IS THE REMEDY.

WHERE IS THE REMEDY.
 That the newspapers of the country are now confronting a very serious Iproblem is spparent to aii who are in- formed on the subject. That problem is the increased and increasing cost of white paper. There are now. and have long been. many prominent and realty frst-ciass newspapers that were and fare sold at one and two cents per cops imany of them at the former price. Such newspapers must necessarily depend on their advertising for what profit they make. To get this advertising at pay ing prices the papers, must show . large circulation. and the larger the circulation the greater is the outlay for paper.
 This shows the intricacy and compii cation that Is now confronting the Newspapers of the country. No news paper worth reading can be sold for one cent per copy, or at corresponding l ly low annual. subscription. if 1t must depend entirely on sales or subscript- sons for It's profits. because tho whito paper for a good newspaper costs more than one cent. It can only be made to pay by having a good advertising pat ronage and that, as we have said. cap only be secured through a large cir- collation. or through extensive sales The more copies that are fssu@d the greater Is the expense and the loss to the publisher.
 I Then we have smother phase of tine problem. These one-cent newspapers owe their large circulations ana sales to their cheapness. If they raise the price to correspond with the cost os print paper their patronage will fall off. and with their loss of circulation conner loss os advertising. The various phases of the question are so combine.t and intermixcd with each other that 1t is difficult to see how they can be sep arated so as to be satisfactory Fer such papers there seems but tw, thinss that can be done; they must reduce the number'of pages in each issue or in- crease the price. and either is not a pleasant alternative, for either may mean loss of patronage.
 What the remedy may be. If there is remedy. is difficult to conceive. If the increased price is due to the greater demand and the scarcity of raw mater adap ptation of some new material for paper making. So many materials have been brought into use within generation that it will be strange if an- other cannot be found to answer the purpose. but 1t is hot yet apparent what it will be. We have been told at various times within few years that the problem of cheap raw material has been solved. but there is always a hitch somewhere. The right thing is not found or else they haven't learned how to utilize it.
 If, on the other hand, as some con- tend. the high price of print paper is due to the grasp of the Paper Trust. the question becomes even more difl- eult, for trusts seem almost omnipotenr as well as omniverous in this country of late. We hear much about trust bustingI but little of it is ever realized. If the Paper Trust has the makers ofb newspapers by the throat and Is squeezl ing the life out of them. we don't seq the remedy. looming up very plainly But whatever the cause of increased pa per prices may be, 1t is seriously hurtful to one of the most important industries in the country. and the man who can find the remedy will be public benefactor.