Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-14
When Will Print Paper Come Down?

tho natural question In every bust
ness mans mind. Only by a long time
distribution OF his cost burdens Is
the answer. During the war when
paper advanced 100 per cent in price
and wages doubled subscriptions
were advanced less than 25 per cent
and advertising rates in the T.-R.
went up one third. The government
rationed publishers in those days
compelling Thorn to reduce their con-
sumption OF paper. The T.-R. got by
then by giving up more than half OF
its space In each days issue to the
advertiser. The reader did not pay In
proportion to the increase In costs
and neither did the advertiser but the
publisher sold more Of his news paper
TO the advertiser aud delivered less TO
the reader.
When the war was over the r. r..
publishers decided to enlarge each
page from seven to eight columns
wide and to publish an average Of
twelve pages daily instead Of ten
pages which was the pre-war aver
age the average being less than ten
pages during the war. Before the war
the reader got half of the space In
10 column daily newspaper or IS col
umns daily average OF reading mat.
ter ana tho advertiser bought the
same amount Of space. Since the war
IN the enlarged newspaper the reader
has been receiving from 80 to 40 col
uinns daily In 96 column newspap-
er but, Of course. not quite half of
the enlarged newspaper. With in
creased space to sell to advertisers
without robbing the readers the r.
K. has been getting by with total net
advances OF rs per cent on subscrlp-
lions and as 1-s per cent on adver-
Using rates to meet advances of 100
per cent In print paper and 100 per
cent in labor cost Now for next year
print paper Is costing an advance of
aeo per cent over pre-war prices or
-FOUR times It's pre-war price, and
subscription prices by mail have
gone to so per cent above their pre-
war price.
But what will happen when the
volume OF advertising falls down ?"
Is the next natural query. The pub
Usher does not know. The T.-R. has
believed that when advertising de-
chned in volume the consumption of
print paper would fall off and its
exorbitant prices would come down,
SO the T.-R. publishers have decided
to keep their prices down until that
time came. Advertising rates have
not changed in eighteen months.
That is what has actually j -
pened to the open market this l.
Advertising volume has declined in
the cities 20 per cent during the past
two months and the open market
price for paper has fallen from s24o
to $3.50 per ton but it is not yet down
to price at which publishers can
live without further advances in sub
scriptions and advertising rates. The
T.-R. believes that by July next
when new mills come into production
the bottom will fall out of present
print paper prices but until paper goes
far below 800 per ton subscription
prices can not change even on the
present volume Of advertising. If adj
vertising should fall off print paper
Will have to go down to $50 per ton
before It's net advance over pre-war
levels will approximate the last ad.
vance in subscription prices above
pre-war prices and manufacturers
insist that print paper can never
again be manufactured below $50 per
ton in net cost to them.
We shall sec. Until that time the
wise publisher will not seek to in
crease circulation far away from
home at present subscription prices.
There is no money in it to him. Home
circulation he must have at any
price.