Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-03-16
A NEWSPAPER ROMANCE

During the war and after, the Grand
Rapids Daily News was the best news
paper in hat city. It's editorials were
a delight to it's readers, breathing n
hundred per cent Americanism
through every line, sound in logic and
conforming to all the p%recepts Of a
progressive newspaper; it's news col
umns were full of live, up-to-date
news, and it's advertising columns
were free from fake medicine and pro-
motion advertisements. Its editor was
a leader in all civic movements of a
patriotic or community welfare nature
and, being an orator of the highest
type, frequently was called upon and
always responded with his services
when any Of the big issues were at
stake; especially vas this true during
the war bond drives and the following
welfare chest and Salvation Army
drives. It's mechanical equipment
also was up to date and on a par with
any plant in the same size town. In
short, it was a real live newspaper
worthy of a city with less than two
hundred thousand population.
But for some unexplained reason
the paper didn't take. It's circula-
ton never got above one-half of what
it should have been, consequently the
advertising patronage was very lin
tied. A number of friends in the
form of bond holders put up various
sums of money, said to aggregate one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, to
keep the paper going; still for years
it skirted too closely the rocks of
bankruptcy.
Then the management decided to in
stall a commercial printing plant in
connection with the newspaper; for
what reason it is hard to explain. 1t
was not, to be sure, because Of any
pressing need for a new printing
plant, as the city already was over
equipped in that line; nor could it
have beer to bolster up the lettering
financial condition of the paper, as
no attempt was made at organization
on approved business principles Of
known costs. 1t may be, however,
that the fallacy of mo overhead" so
common with a certain type of news
paper publishers had something to do
with it. OF course, the plant was not
busy more than one-half of the time.
The linotypes were idle the biggest
part of the day and more so the
presses. So there possibly could have
been some excuse for entering the
commercial field. And there is no
reason to believe that the plant
couldn't have been successful if it had
been operated along approved bust
ness lines. But, no. From the very
outset it was a full-fledged marathon
race to get orders regardless of price.
The United Typothetae of America, a
printers organization, through it's Sec
rotary, offered cost information and
other help, but it was peremptorily
refused. In fact, the manager of the
job plant went out of his way to show
his antagonism to the Typothetae in
his advertising, using such phrases as
these: Our prices are not dictated by
any printers organization" and eve
can save you at least twenty-five per
C6HJ OH yOuI plIuIllS OAOClo SOh-
sequently every order taken fastened
the inevitable crash: 1t came with
the end of the year 1t swept every
thing with it. 1t is said that outside
of the secured Indebtedness there
were current debts for more than n
hundred thousand dollars.
This is not written in any 'I-told-
you-so" spirit, nor in any spirit of
revenge. 1t is simply an attempt to
point out what inevitably will hap
pen when sound and approved bust
ness methods are disregarded. To try
to build a business without knowing
the costs of doing business can have
but one end.
but one end.-M. H., in Typothetae
Bulltein, Chicago.