The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-12-20
NEWSPAPER RATES WILL STAND
trrom ,h. Editor and pubIishcr)

Deflation IL now in full swing In
the United States. Pyramided prices
are giving way before marked public
Resistance. The newspaper industry
however. is one in which there can bs
no radical revision in prices, for the
very good reason that newspaper ser
vice TO both reading public and ad'
vertiser has been for many years un'
dervalued and underpaid. During
the war and since. newspaper prices
have advanced as n last resort under
circumstances over which publishers
have had no control.
IL Is but honest and fair TO state
in this connection that there has been
no profiteering by newspaper pub
fishers. but. on the contrary. puplie
service OF the first order most un-
usual and extraordinary interference
by government
There can be no reduction today
In newspaper rates, enither TO the
reader or advertiser-in fact in many
instances there must be still further
advances in subscription and adver-
tising rates TO cover increases In cost
since October In labor and ma
terials.
Truth is. the hazards OF newspaper
publishing are so great. the lure to
exceptional and expensive public ser
vice so entlcing. and competition so
keen. that II is practically impossible
TO accumulate needed reserves and
necessary betterments, TO say nothing
OF adequate managerial compensa-
tion. dividends, etc.
Since 1914. the principal factors in
newspaper making. organized labor
and newsprInt. have increased In cost
4ss per cent. while in the same per-
iod retail prices have increased ap-
proXimately 15O per cent; adver,is-
gin rates $50 per cent-a total uf $50
per cent. leaving a balance Of l6S
per cent IN actual increased costs Of
production that has been absorbed
by reduction in pages and other
economies.
These figures do not include non
union labor increases. which have
been in almost equal proportion. or a
multitude OF all kinds OF tax items.
Deflation is now the order OF the
day in practically every business eI-
cept that OF newspaper making.
Prices must come down. but news
paper prices must never again be
permitted to fall TO the old cut
throa, level that prevailed prior TO
1914.
From the standpoint OF production
costs-labor and newsprint-the
newspaper publishing business will
be unchanged in 1921 over 1920.
There Is no tendency TO lower wage
scales and In all probability news
print win continue to sell on con-
tracts al the same average as in
1920. II not 10 per cent higher.
There can be no lowering OF rates
either to subscriber or advertiser.
The newspaper business is today on
a more sound basis than ever before
in its history and II must be kept
there. In some cases. as we have
said. further increases In revenues |
will be necessary 10 meet the new |
standards AS a matter OF fact since I
October /. over 800 newspapers have
raised advertising rates on an aver
age OF about 25 per cent II may be
necessary for other newspapers to
follow this lead, In spite OF general
price declines.
In the meantime II is the duty OF
eyery newspaper publisher in Amer
lea TO take stock in order that he
may present a logical doliar-and-
cents reason for his prevailing
schedule OF rates. instead OF some
reason which was the
rule some years ago and which, II is
hoped, has been driven out OF news
payer and advertising business for
All time,