The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1927-08-24
THE COST OF READING

THE COST OF READING
WYE HOPE Gazette readers read carefully
w the following. twill not only give some
interesting information on the production
costs of books and magazines, but it will also
arouse them to consciousness of what their
public library does for them, and what that in
stitution will save them in actual expenditure if
they will only give it an opportunity.
eff a man buys half dozen books month";
ranging in price from two to five dollars, and
subscribes for half dozen magazines, at from
five to fifty cents copy, he finds that his read
ing costs him about dollar an hour.
Newspapers and magazines are the cheap
est reading, because the matter in them is heav-
lily subsidized by advertisers. The retail price
of the Saturday Evening Post, for instance, is
only fraction of the mere cost of mechanical
production. If all the advertisements were left
out of the Post it is doubtful if the editorial
tents could be printed for the subscription price
Certainly the magazine could not be printed,
edited and distributed
"The white paper in newspapers often costs
more than the price at which the paper is sold to
the newsboys.
Americans have become so used to getting
large quantities of reading matter at low price
that few publications succeed in surviving with
out the help of advertisers. The Freeman, an
exceptionally well edited economic weekly, sus-
pended publication this year, after a four-year
trial of running without advertisements The
subscription price was fifteen cents per copy.
IS per year. When wealthy supporters with
drew, it collapsed.
"Books contain no advertisements, SO read
ers are compelled to pay all costs which enter
into their production-printing, authors fees
and rovalfies uuhl;shore, ovorhaod ord v~of;x
and booksellers charges.
AThe hour-cost of reading, of course, de-
ponds somewhat on the type of book, and also
on whether it is a modern book or a reprint Of
IN old book on which copyrights have expired.
The one-dollar-an-hour charge to which
have referred is high because it includes the
purchase and reading Of many new books.
Zone who reads fiction can get new books at
circulating libraries, and if one does not forget
to return them promptly, the hour-cost can be
reduced to one or two cents an hour, the usual
rental on these books being three cents day.
"IT is ALSO POSSIBLE TO REDUCE
THE HOURLY COST OF READING BY PAT
RONIZING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. One diff
hculty with that plan is that twenty others al
ways seem to want the same book you want, with
the result that you have to take your turn.
''The hourly cost can also be reduced by pur-
chasing books in special editions, such as the
titles included in Everyman's Library or the
Modern Library.
Il recall Madame Bovary by Flaubert in
one OF these editions. In that instance the hour
~ charge was not over dime or at most fiji
teen cents. Also read BoswelPs Life of john
son IN cheap edition, and doubt if my reading
charge was over nickel an hour
"On the other hand, the Story of the Bible
by Hendrix Van Loon, cost me S. an hour.
found didn't like the book and quit reading it
In less than hour.
"Skepticism and Animal Faith by George
Santayana, said to be the most remarkable vol
ums, also ran up an hour-charge which was pro-
hibitive. bought it because saw this sentence
In the preface when picked it up ut the book
sellers: Il think that common sense, in a rough