The Washington times., 1920-04-06
American People
Wiling to Pay the
Cost of Excellence

In these days the increase in the price of publication
is for three very definite purposes
First meet the increase in the cost OF white paper
which than doubedand to meet the wage scales
labor which are very properly increasing account Of
continually growing cost Of living
Second to give the agents who sell the publications
namely the newsboys and Dealers larger item OF profit
which they in their turn thoroughly deserve
Third to make continually better publication for the
benefit of our readers.
With increasing costs of material and the desirabty OF
giving proper American compensation to and
the minor merchants who handle publisher Is
confronted with the necessity either of increasing advertis
ing and circulation of placing limit upon the
excellence of his publication
first encountered this situation in the magazine field
where own the COSMOPOLITAN Magazine HEARST s
Magazine GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, HARPER 8 BAZAAR
and some others here and abroad
The COSMOPOLITAN may be taken as an instance.
We were selling 1O25OOO copies month at 10 cents
copy The increasing costs and the demand OF the agents
for larger profit sales made 10
the quality of the magazine to increase the price
We increased the price first to 20 cents and then to 70
cents We put our part of that increase into improving the
magazine, and selling today over mllhon ana
half copies of the per month; our readers
happy agents are content ana our employees are
satisfied
Other magazines followed their advantage and those
that did not follow and did not improve their
and appealed to small element Of the community which
prefers cheapness to excellence have gone down In ccu
ton, in advertising and in standing.
The American people are not cheap people They
want excellence and they willing to pay proper price
for any article that has distinct merit They DO not mlnd
few cents in any matter 50 as the ano
completeness Of their information and the high quality OF
their literature.
Newspapers and magazines are the post graduate
courses of any American citizens education
E In these days is not merely matter OF pride but
matter of business benefit have the most accurate nor
nation and the most thorough education 90,
It is the policy of the Hearst publications to make the
most extensive news connections possible and to have on
their stats the best brains that liberal compensation car
obtain and that the distinction OF being associated Win
the greatest publishing house in the world can secure
From the more serious matter of contributions by the
most eminent writer's and thinkers of the world to the com
paratvey frivolous item of comic pictures from one ex
treme to the other through the whole gamut OF
enterprise the Hearst publications endeavor 10 get tne De
and to charge only what the best Is worth
The New York Sunday American, with the larges
Sunday circulation in America went to the price OF
cents COPY while its competitors remained at lower price
And at the 10 cent price the new YORK SUNDAY amer
ican is compelled to limit its circulation to one millo
comics Sunday merely because it cannot get the whit
paper at this time to print more.
In Chicago the Sunday Herald and Examiner went t
10 cents while it's competitor remained at cheaper price
The Sunday Herald and Examiner has a circulation o
over seven hundred thousand printed its usual edition
and sold every copy. ....
If the Hearst publications were worth the price
put upon them the public would not pay that price
The less discriminating readers can always get certain
grade of publication at lesser price
We do not quarrel with contemporaries for charg
inp the cheaper price They probably know better thai
anyone else what their publications actually worth
We know that our publications are amply worth wha
know that too. WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST.