The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-08-24
That you tickle me
Because l tickle you,
The end will soon come
To the good we can do.
XIII.

A man who studied the newspaper
business of the county very closely
did some tabulating and found that
there were certain news items of
state and national interest that each
of the four newspapers in the county
set in type just alike. Then there
were lot Of items of general local
interest that each editor wrote up in
his own way and set in type. Type
setting is the most expensive part of
newspaper work, and he found there
would be great saving if a central
office could be arranged where all
this kind of matter could be set and
printed for each of the local papers.
1t would cut the cost to one-fourth,
but none of the fellows wanted to
entrust it to one of the others.
1t was also proposed that they
combine their plants and make one
very complete plant, and sell all the
rest of the. equipment and use the
money for developing one good coun-
ty paper and all of them own it and
work on it, each one according to his
talents or ability. 1t was pointed
out that it would cut all of the ex-
pense of typesetting to nearly one
fourth. It would reduce the amount
Of type needed to nearly one-fourth.
1t would reduce the cost of rent,
light, heat, taxes and insurance to
nearly one-fourth. 1t would cut out
so much of duplication of energy,
that new work could be taken up
and more thoro and more extended
news service could be given. All the
news that they were all publishing
could be put into one paper and a
great deal more that they were not
getting because each one was vast
ing part of his time doing some
thing exactly like each of the others
was doing that day. From the peo-
pies standpoint, each family could
get that one paper published by them
working together, and it would cost
them only two dollars year, while
under the system then in vogue, if
each family received all the news of
the county as published it would cost
them seven dollars a year, the price
of subscription for four papers. That
would cut the peoples costs from
seven dolalrs to two dollars and yet
give them better product. 1t would
save the people the trouble of look
ing over each of the papers and sort
ing out and skipping in one such
items as they had read in another.
A person could take the paper then
and read it all without loss of time
and loss of interest from running
across something already seen in an
other paper. The stockman who was
taking papers to keep track of es-
tray notices, would not have to keep
scanning all of the papers each week.
The people who keep track of assess
ment and delinquent canal notices
would not have to watch but one
paper, and the same would be true
Of sheriff's notices and land notices. |
Settlers had been complaining that |
they sometimes had to leave their
claims temporarily to make living,
and during their absence somebody
might file a contest and it would
be published in some paper in the
county but they were never sure
which one, and If a settler while alb
sent from his claim wanted to keep
posted on these vital matters, he
would have to subscribe for at least /
Two of the local papers at cost
Of $3.50 or 81 year. Stockmen
that sometimes their ami
mails were taken UP and advertised
Tor sale in some paper they were