New-York tribune., 1910-03-09
COL. HARVEY HAPPY
But he Doesn't Want CostEier
Second Class Mail.

Inc SphlnX Club composed of advertising
men, held a dinner at the Waldorf last
night and heard Colonel George Brinton
MctlelIan Harvey talk on The Magazines
IN Journalism" Referring to the sugges-
uon that the great number of lower priced
periodicals. which had sprung up in the
last decade might be seriously detrimental
10 the older, higher priced magazines. he
spoke OF his own experience thus:
len years ago l was confronted by the
virtual necessity of either reducing or in
creasing the price of 'Harper's Magazine ,
hnally decided TO increase it from 50 to
81 a year The experiment was questiona-
Die perhaps even daring. but ii proved
successful Yesterday. out Of curiosity.
made a comparison of the net paid sub
scription list as of June /, 1900, with that
or March l, 1910 l found that during that
PERIOD the number of net paid subscrip-
tions had a little more than doubled That
is, on March l. 1910. the magazine had ex-
actly 1887. more than double as many pay
ing subscribers as it had on June l. 1900
The experience of The Century, | am
Informed, has been corresponding gratifv-
ing, How high Brother Scrihner has
climbed since he started a sporting de-
partment 1 cannot say. But the point is
that the only effect upon the expensive
magazine of the multiplication of lower
prioed-mind you. l do not say cheap
periodicals has been a check on what
might. in the absence Of competition, have
been their normal growth"
After recommending some maXims for the
guidance of the new public journals in
the future. Colonel Harvey took up the
proposal to increase the rates on second
class mail matter. and said he thought
maintenance of good faith between govern
ment and citizens could be insisted upon
rightfully and properly
In explaining this statement he said that
In more than one hundred wears American
postal rates had invariably been reduced.
A succession of precedents extending over
so long period. in his opinion, should
establish in all fairness and honor policy,
because upon that assumption large sums
money have been invested and great bus-
nesses have been built up"
Continuing, he remarked: Nevertheless.
as an editor, as a journalist. hesitating to
assert what may not be true l am not
prepared to insist that there is nothing
whatever to be said on the other side much
less to declare that there is no other side
l cannot be convinced that. because the
President has brought the matter to the at
N~--N''44 ~ CCliSiCSS' liz IldS necessarily, DIS
some put it, betrayed the nation
Of the need of cooperation he said:
Now, gentlemen. l have spoken of the
moral obligation of those of US who conduct
public journals 1t is direct and it is seri-
Gus. But il is not confined to editors and
publishers. 1t rests also upon all of you who
through the bestowal of your support and
patronage, make 1t possible for public jour
nails to exist at all. Much carping is heard
at times over the sO-called dominance Of
the counting room. Frankly, I do not be-
lieve such influence IS eXerted unduly upon
any reputable newspaper or magazine.
Moreover, there is no little humbug in the
implication.
THE advertiser feeds the mill; it is not
only his right but his duty. to scrutinize
the grist- | suspect that I would he of the
last to permit customer to dictate a
policJ, but when a patron honestly feels
that my policy is harmful TO the community
or even injurious to his own interests,
clearly have no cause of complaint when
he withdraws his support of what I may
consider TO be right but what he believes
TO be wrong. Furthermore, as I have said.
when that divergence OF opinion applies to
the public veal. such Withdrawal is more
than a privilege; it is an obligation of
patriotism.
The other speakers were Robert Froth-
irgham and Truman A De Weese.