Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-09
PUBLISHERS OF
PA. NEWSPAPERS
URGE ECONOMY
Radical Steps Recommended
to Meet Problems In
dustry Faces

Grave problems confronting the
newspaper business OF the state and
nation, forced upon the publishers
by the war, including sharp increas-
white paper shortage, were discuss
ed yesterday at a meeting of the
newspaper publishers of the state
burgh, held in the Harrisburg Y. NJ.
c. A. assembly room.
Even the two-cent newspapers of
the country are operating at a very
close margin of profit while one-cent
newspapers generally are losing
money in large sums.
The publishers assembled here
yesterday endorsed the recommen-
dations of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association at its recent
meeting in New York, for the elimi-
nation of all forms of waste. by dis
continuing free copies, abolishing
the return privilege, rebating to
agents, limiting copies to advertisers.
prohibiting baseball extras, increas-
ing price per copy from one to two
cents where this has not been done.
cutting out free publicity and dis
couraging the press agent in order
to conserve space, reduction in size
of headlines. etc.
Economics Necessary
These economies are absolutely
necessary the publishers decided if
radical regulation of the newspaper
business by the government is to be
avoided. Either waste must be elm
mated voluntarily and the publishing
business conducted along strictly
economical lines or government
regulation may be expected. it was
the general belief.
E. ]. Stackpole. of the Harrisburg
Telegraph, was selected as chairman,
and w. L. Taylor, of the York Dis
patch, was made secretary.
A resolution was unanimously
adopted calling upon Congress either
to modify the new second class pos
tai rates with respect to newspapers
or to suspend the regulations until a
complete and intelligent investiga-
ton can be made of the subject of
newspaper postage. This new law
would work great hardshipS to news
papers If enforced.
1t was agreed to cooperate with
the association news print committee
by urging all Pennsylvania publish
ers to aid in properly presenting 10
Il
situation which now confronts the
industry.
A message was received from
George Creel. chairman of the Com
mittee on Public Information. re-
GREETING his inability to attend the
meeting but Offering to cooperate
in any way possible and requesting
that when representatives of the
publishers go to Washington they
meet with him.
Resolutions were adopted urging
the adoption generally of the two
cent price, and protesting TO the
Federal Trade Commission against
further advance in the price of white
paper.
Among those present at the con-
ference which was one of the most
important which has been held re-
Gently by the newspaper publishers
cf Pennsylvania were W. L. Tay-
lpr. of the York Dispatch; d. r.
Thompson, Carlisle Sentinel; Henry
e. Carpenter. Lancaster Intelligent
Ger: W. ]. Pattison. Scranton Re-
publican: A. H. Walters. Johnstown
Tribune; D. A. Miller, Allentown
Morning Call: Frederick S. Fox,
Reading Telegram and News-Times:
Guy W Moore, Wilkes Barre Rec
ord; John A. Hourigan. Evening
News. Wilkes Barre: James H.
March. Altoona Times: Joseph A.
Mckinley. Williamstown Times; W.
4. Eicholtz, Sunbury Daily; Charles
r. Long. Chester Times; ]. w. Gitt,
York Gazette; Roy W. Wyler, Allen
town Democrat; Harry l. Johnston,
Altoona Mirror; John W. Rauch,
Reading Eagle; George E. Graf,
Williamsport Sun; W. L. Hafer, Get
tysburg Times; John ]. Mead, Erie
Times, and others.