Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-20

ots uulA NiiIlH., Jdn. II:~7o. "
Spence keeps us in Sllspense;s ther
makes expense and We will have tt
dispense with Spence.
b. E,!& S.
When he caught his breath Spence
bought. HHs. 4
"RAlslNo THE SUBSCRIPTION
PRICE" rt
w. A. Shear, Sentinel Butte.
Since the program committee Of
the North Dakota Press Association
assigned to me the subject Of Rails.
ing the Subscription Rate upon
which TO read a papare at this meet
ing, ! have taken some pains to as.
certain why the subscription rate
should be raised, and as near as !
can find ont the main reason lies In
the general increase in the cost OF
living. Or course | know and we all
have known for some time That 4
dollar a year is not enough to charge
for a good weekly newspaper land
of course tkatais the kind that we
all try to ruift;s and | have been get
ting that 1mhuch for mine, ever since
first came to North Dakota nearly
ten years ago, but the why Of the
matter has not bothered me much
until recently. W. are now paying
larger salaries, we are paying more
for paper, those that rent are pay
ing higher rentals and those that
own their buildings are paying high
Qr f1V0c IN fhor, or On fhnS~J or,,Sp
ment! In conformity with, the general
increase in the cost of living our per.
sonal expenses are greater, and when
we increase the subscription price
from $1.9O to $3.50 we are scarcely
going far enough-We had ought to
lave more money, but the increase
Of half a dollar is a step in the right
direction and will doubtless do for
present needs.
In raising the rate some, have Of
fered a special proposition to their
subscribers whereby all are allowed
to reneW their subscriptions at the
old rate for a stated period, say. thir,
ty days, before the new rate takes
effect, and l believe this is a good
idea as it gives all due notice Of the
change.
1t is perhaps a good plan for pub.
lishers where they are two or more
papers in a town or county to get
together and raise the rate stimuli.
taneously but ! do not think it is at
all necessary. The idea is to make
the paper worth the money land my
has been that practical
~ all North Dakota newspaper men
are already doing that, and the PEG.
pie will be willing to pay for it.
s do not believe that a good week.
~ newspaper can be published at
anything like a profit for less. than
$l.50sp year; nor do I believe it is
necessary to fear offending your sub
scribers by raising o a profitable
rate. Most of the people that read
newspapers are sufficiently enlight-
ened to expect every business man
to make a profit on his work. You
expect the grocer to make a profit
on the prunes you buy of him and
when you take your automobile down
to the garage you expect the robber
there to make quite a large profit. 3Ita
is a rule that works both ways and
II we newspaper men don't make it
work in u favor it is our own fault.
4 Eut to get back again to the prop;
Of losing subscribers; sun.
pose VIC do lose a few, we were max.
ing no profit on them anyway and ev-
cry time we lose one, it will be an
incentive to hustle around and get
two new ones that will make us a
profit. Very few will stop their paper
because Ofthe increase in price-the !
American people have the newspaper
habit-they have the habit Of taking
your paper because it IS a good pa.
per; and they are going to keep on
doing it.
The difference between a dollar
and a dollar-and.a half doesn't look
like much, and it isn't much to the
individual, but to the publisher it
adds one-half to his previous income
from subscriptions and whether. his
is 1000 or 500 of 5000 the
amount is: well worth taking. A GER
tain newspaper supply house hasafesI
Gently. issued'sa comparative state.
ment showing the amount Of esins
the extra hall. dollar represents
and it is truly surprising. Many Of
you have doubtless seen this sum.
mary but ] am going to use it again
convenience in showing what the
extra half.dollar is worth.
In the summary that l have six
weeks were covered and only the in.
creases-the new Observation-Disclosures
counted.
The first week 1o2 papers increas.
ed their lists 4,S16 an average in.
crease of more than AZ subscribers
for each paper, which is pretty large
but this was done in November and
II a North Dakota newspaper list can
eveh be increased it is in the fall, SO
perhaps the figures are not too large.
At $l.OO per year t~hisgwould amount
$A,S16 and at 81. so: I the; amount
would be 1924 an increase of $2,4OS
which divided among the efO2 papers
would give each publisher over $:23.
GO, more than he would have receiy.
ed at the old price. In other words
his subscription r~eceiptsafon the week
from now. subscribers " ould amount
to $1,000 instead of $47.2O.. 81.
Me second wnek Of no nors showed