Gunnison news-champion., 1920-11-19

ductions. They claim and have claim
ed right along that these stories were
largely manufactured and had no bas-
is for fact behind them.
In our own branch Of industry We
find that all sorts Of paper going into
tho printing business is on the upward
swing yet. News print took n slight
slump a short time ago, but now il Is
soaring again and the Lord only know
where il will be halted. One writer 4
day or two ago Etated that il would
not be long until newspapers would
be q thing Of the past. except in a few
instances, and that the town crier Of
news would take its phase, the Toason
being that wood for the making Of
paper was becoming 80 scarce and so
difficult TO obtain. as the timber sup
ply Is growing harder to secure on the
mountains and consequently more ex-
p1nsiye.
As a word on the other side Of the
controversy, the News Is in receipt of
n letter addressed to printers from
the Porte Publishing Co, publishers of
the Franklin price list, so generally
used BY printers all over the country,
and this letter gives clear and con-
else statement of the situation a. Pres
ident Porte finds it from a broad and
careful survey. II explains many
things and urges printers to be extra
ordinarily careful for there never was
more danger than now.
You will be interested in it and then
you will learn why the retail mer-
chants in the smaller places are having
to hew so closely to safety in conduct
ing their business, for II they don't,
they will find failure staring them in
the face Read what President Porte
says:
"There has never been time in the
history of printing when conditions
affecting the continued prosperity Of
the business were more dangerous than
now
Every one is looking for a general
reduction in price of all classes Of
merchandise to approximately pre-war
prices The big newspapers in the
country have published lot of pure
bunk along these lines and the great
danger is that the smaller businesses
will be the first to yield to these sug-
gestions and start the ball rolling,
while the truth is that the smaller
businesses should be the last rather
than the first to change.
''In general survey of the business
conditions there is shown no tendency
to reduce prizes in any of the large in
dustries, where prices are based on
known costs. So far there has been
no reduction of any moment. Practi-
cally all the so-called ''bargain-sale"
reductions, from the break made by
Wanmaker, down have either been pure
fakes or reduction in classes of mer-
chandise which have always been too
high.
"In matters affecting the printing
industry there is absolutely nothing
in sight that would make for a re-
duction in price of printing; on thk
contrary there are changes coming
that will either force prices higher Or
cut into the already too small profits
Of the business.
'1n the manufacture of plant eouip-
ment, machinery of all kinds, tyne,
brass goods, cabinets, etc, the cost Of
raw material cannot be materially re-
duced for some years while the labor
costs will remain as they are indefn-
itely II they do not go higher, with
the tremendous foreign demand for
all these products the manufacturer
cannot be expected to reduce prices
for domestic consumption and we cnn
rest assured they will not.
The paper situation offers no hupa
of price reduction-except in possjay
one or two classes-for at least oHe
or two years With q present paSier|
consumption of 500 pounds for evesy|
40 pounds made, we cannot see aSyl
relief for a long time to come"