The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-04-27
NEWSPAPER SITUATION IN KEY WEST

The Citizen does not desire to appear selfish
in consistently adhering to the claim that the
ditions in Key West do not warrant the publication
OF more than newspaper, but the record of one
failure after another in newspaper ventures in this
city in time past is cited in support of the opinion
Of this newspaper along this line
A city needs two newspapers ONLY when il
can support them. History has proven that
West
Coleman Duncan, former publisher of the
defunct Morning Call and Evening Telegram stated
that after thorough analysis and careful survey
he has come to the conclusion that there is room
for but one paper here at the present time, and
consequently suspended the publications.
Whenever Key West is in. position to support
two newspapers The Citizen will heartily welcome
the appearance of another one.
Every additional newspaper throws an add-
tional burden upon the business firms and citizens
of the community whether they both be daily pub
LEGATIONS, or one weekly and another a daily
The burden of supporting two newspapers al
ways falls heaviest the merchants and other ad-
vcrtising firms of a city, because. whether a paper
is published once or six times week, the adver
Using is bound to cost just so much per inch
1t would naturally appear that the publisher
of the only newspaper in town would enjoy a
monopoly and take advantage of the opportunities
afforded for domineering and excessive charges
But this can not be truly said of The Citizen. For
more than four years this newspaper was without
absolutely no difference in the policy and prac-
tees of the paper did it in any way affect its
scale of rates. either in subscription or advertising
While holding the field without any opposition
whatever, The Citizen did not find Key West an
unusually profitable location for a newspaper
The Citizen has just recently invested about
$4,000 in improvements for the plant and is now
giving Key West the best newspaper it has ever
had, but this not seen to be possible until af-
ter of forty-seven years of close and con-
sentative management, and with perfect confidence
in the present prospects of an era Of great pros
pcrity. for the community in the near future.
There are hundreds of people in Key West
who have felt the sting of financial loss in the
newspaper game. Money has been lost on every
newspaper that has failed here. Key Westers seem
too prone to fall into the traps of inscriptions
outsiders, those unprincipled fly-bynighters who
blow into town and by smooth line of talk lure
local people into proposition in order that the
crooks "clean up" for themselves and then skip
out and leave our people with the bag to hold A
number of good people here have had money
filched from them in this very way. some of them
more than once, perhaps. This is also the case
frequently in other than the newspaper line.
People are warned by The Citizen to steer clear
of the stranger who comes to town with glowing
plan to make people get rich quick by taking up
his plans and backing him with their good money
People would do well to grab their own pocketbooks
and hold tight onto them until such rascalIy pro-
motors are known to- be clear out of town, and to
stay
II Key West ever has second newspaper let
it be fostered and financed. not by unprincpled
and penniless promoters, but by conservative peo
pie of means and influence who are really and sim
cerely interested in the welfare and progress of
this city and county. And when the future brings
with it conditions that viii warrant another news
paper in Key West, The Citizen win be one of the
first to extend it genuine and cordial welcome.