The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-31
NEWSPAPER LOSSES.

The Editor and Publisher of New
York, gives some pertinent and inter
esting figures on the losses in news
paper offices, particularly in the large
cities. 1t says:
THAT many newspapers of the
United States. due to increased manu-
featuring costs. are running this year
on surplus Capital their actual oper-
ating profits having declined to the
vanishing point, the estimated annual
loss in the industry being in excess of
$40, 0O00 is the statement to The
Editor and Publisher of A G. Nc
Intyre, representing the paper COM
mittee of the American Newspaper
Publishers association.
publishers who have been stagger-
ing under the weight of trust prices
for news print, may individually have
been aware of terrific losses, but this
is the first time they have been given
a statement of the stupendous aggre-
gate depreciation of profits in the
newspaper industry.
Mr.. Mcintyre has figures, which
| may play an important part in sub
sequent litigation by the government,
showing how the individual profits of
great newspaper properties have been
extinguished largely by newsprint
prices. and these publishing plants
brought face to face with the neces-
spite of enforced economies which in
instances have reached a point where
| news and advertising service have
| been impaired.
"In the case of a large Chicago
newspaper, even the increased retail
price two cents did not by many thou
sands of dollars wipe out the operat-
ing deficit, tho without the raise in
the selling price the paper would have
been forced to accept a desperate loss.
low
| print during the past eighteen months
is comprehended in the statement, the
curtailed consumption being given as
1,6OO tons per day. The consumption
OF news print in the United States is
roughly given as 5000 tons per day.
The economies have been effected
mainly thru stoppage of waste, re-
auction in the size of newspapers and
thru declined circulation in instances
where retail prices have been in
creased
THE average reduction in the size
of many metropolitan newspapers,
due to the stress of high prices, has
oeen five pages per day in instances.
Editors, dealing with the most mo-
mentous news in the history of the ma
tion ana feeling their responsibility to
their readers, are forced to pinch on
space; advertising merchants, such
as automobile dealers, the railroads.
retalI shops, manufacturers of brand
eo 1oods and other life necessities be-
lng-put to their wits end to meet the
abnormal conditions of the times in
trade, are more than ever feeling the
necessity of quick and efficient com
munication with the public thru news
paper advertising space
Mr. Mcintyre points out that the
disturbance in the newspaper indus
| Try mas been so acute as to impair eff
Iclency in many directions and that
the public has been affected in a seri-
Gus way. In numerous cities where
the retail prices of newspaper have
peen forced up by the increased cost
OF manufactures the losses in circula-
tlon nave run to rs per cent, which
| means that poor people, so heavily
taxed by the increased cost of living
nave felt that they could not indulge
IN newspapers as heretofore. with q
consequent impairment of the service
OF public notwithstanding OF
| democracy.
h publishers have saved approxi.
mately 500 tons of news print daily b1
cutting down free copies, exchanges
unpaid in all degrees, while press
room waste has been reduced to tbs
minimum. 1t is stated as an estimate
that 100 tons per day have been saved
! thru the economical methods of cireu-
latlon, elimination of returns and kin.
dred processes"