Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-24
LIVING COST HAS
RAISED DURING YEAR
Government Figures Show Make
Prices Right Everything Publisher
Need. Is New Higher

Large increases in the wholesale
prices OF many important commodi-
ties in the United States during the
year have been reflected in the cost OF
living TO the consumer. figures issued
by the Department Of Labor show, says
Wrigt A. Patterson. in a Washington
letter in the Publishers Auxiliary.
The rise was more pronounced from
March TO May
Farm products increased 3S.3 per
cent in price during the first nine
months OF the year. food advanced
1875 per cent, clothing 17.3 per cent.
fuel and lighting IA per cent, metals
and metal products 24.2 per cent, lum-
Der and building materials 267 per
cent, drugs and chemicals 41.6 per
cent, and house furnishing goods 29-3
per cent
The increases shown in these fig
ure from Washington are aecting
practically everything the publisher
OF the country and daily and weekly
newspaper buys, both for the produc-
ton Of his newspaper and for his iiv-
ing expenses.
/ The farmer is getting over IS per
cent more for what ne has 20 sell than
he was getting year ago. but is
still paying the same price for his
newspaper that he paid year ago.
The groceryman is making profit
on an is per cent average Increase
in the price of everything he sells,
but is still paying the same price for
his advertising and for his newspaper.
The clothing merchant I; making
profit on more than II per cent aver
age increase on everything he sells,
but Is still paying the same price for
his advertising and his newspaper.
1t is only question as TO how long
the publishers who have not raised
their rates can keep up a losing
game. how long they can continue
playing the role of philanthropists.
In time they are bound 20 be driven 10
one OF two alternatives. Either they
must raise their rates, or they must go
out OF business and leave their fields
to men who viii ask wartime price
for wartime product
There is a considerable number OF
L
men in the country newspaper BUSH
ness who have not been afraid TO ask
what their product-their advertis-
| ing and subscription lis worth, and
they have found there was no diff
Guilty in getting fair prices. The Pub
fishers Auxiliary has told of the ex-
periences OF dozens of them. has told
/ how they not only did not lose bust
ness by the raise, but in many. many
cases were congratulated ON making
the raise. But with all of this there
are hundreds. thousands almost, who
will not profit from the thing they
know they must do if they are to con-
tinue in business.
Those who have not raised their
price. jut put themselves in the posi-
ton of the groceryman of their town
for a minute. AS the groceryman they
| have been selling sugar at, let US say,
5 cents a pound. They were then buy
ing it at 1-2 cents pound. The war
caused a jump in the price of sugar
and instead of costing them 8 1-2. it
cost them 6 cents pound. Would
they continue selling it at cents, or
would they do just what the grocery
man did do, advance the price TO cover
the increased cost plus a proportion
ate profit?
So far as receipts and expenditures
are concerned publishing newspaper
| is just like any other business-if you
do not get for your product what It
costs you to produce it you are going
broke.
And that is just what is going to
happen to the newspaper publishers
who do not raise their prices to cover
their heavy increase in costs.