The Washington herald., 1912-07-14
R ural Editor
Makes Success.
By G.. N. WEBB.
ONDITIoNS have changed in the coun-
" try newspaper business, and instead
of having to accept cordwood and
~ other necessities in payment Of sub


scriptions and advertising the rural
editor is now a person OF affiuence in his COM
munity.
The writer has In mind an offlce In a town
Of $500 inhabitants which brings to its
owner an annual profit closely approaching
5000. The proprietor is printer Of twenty
years experience in all branches of the news
paper and publishing business. He is a care
full. farseeing business man. When he pur-
chased his present business It was badly run
down. Drink and lax business methods had
been the previous owners downfall. The
subscription books were filed with uncollect-
able accounts and the job work and adver-
tising ledgers we're similarly padded.
The new proprietor introduced new meth.
DDS into the business-that is they were
new to country journalism in that neck Of
the woods. He hired a competent book.
keeper and a hustling local editor for thu
Index-called the Insect by its jealous
contemporaries because Of its small dimen-
sions-and took personal charge OF the back
room, ejecting therefrom his predecessors
foreman drunken printer Of the old school.
By keeping close watch ever the mechanical
end Of the business he eliminated the small
wastes in paper. ink. and other materials.
In the average country office these sum I'D to
a surprising total
From the start this publisher made a pol
icy Of figuring fair margin of profit on
every piece OF work he turned out, regardless
Of the prices set by precedent. Here be it
known that precedent has always been the
hoodoo of the small town printing business
In the last fifteen years the printers ex-
penses have risen considerably Paper.
type, ink, and labor cost from 10 10 30 per
cent more than they did decade ago. and
still the patron of the average country Of
fce pays the same price he always has The
man with courage enough TO take a fail ou.
Of precedent Is the only one who will make
money as publisher in a small town
surprisingly small percentage Of coun-
try editors are good business men. They ar.
recruited from the ranks OF school teachers.
ministers, half-educated printers, and farm
ers. We have all read VIII Carleton's ac-
count Of the well meaning farmer who, ur-
able 10 md any other calling suited TO his
indolent son. determined to make an edt-
tor outen him." The unbusinesslike country
publisher has been responsible for the steady
adherence to old prices, despite the rise in
his own expenses.
The sources Of the country printers income
have increased in the last few years. Small
town merchants have at last fully awakened
TO the value Of printers ink The doubl.
page department store advertisement is very
common now in country weeklies- The farm
er has been close behind the storekeeper In.
realizing the possibilities of advertising, and
he is more and more inclined to buy his space
in liberal quantities Where a farm sale
was mentioned in a brief reading notice a few
years a go IT is now announced in half a page
of effectively displayed type. There are nu-
Inerous other sources OF the country pub
fishers income, and It may be readily seen
how simple it is for an Intelligent business
like printer to Internationally and well In .
small town