The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-10-23
THE SERIOUS PLIGHT OF THE
NEWSPAPERS


The trade name, "news print" is known
10 all newspaper men as designating the
PAPER ON which newspapers are usually
printed. The paper ON which The Times
News is printed from day to day is known
TO The manufacturers and to newspaper
men as news print" Paper, ~ a matter
Of fact is absolutely essential to the pro-
ducttou of newspapers; and the cost TO
daily newspapers is one of the largest iterS
in the expense account. In the case of The
Times-Nrws IL is the largest single item in
the expense account after the labor bill.
For the past several years news print
has been selling at fairly reasonable prices.
Prices advanced some this year and now
announcement is made by the manufacture
erS of advances in prices which will run
into big money i'm this country as whole.
AT this time the greater part OF the news
print used in this country is manufactured
in Canada. but both Canadian paper and
that made in this country will be upped in
price for next years sales.
Several newspapers coming to the office
of The Tiwcs-News have recently printed
articles on the increasing cost of news
print. intended, we suppose, to afford their
readers some first hand information of the
business conditions faced by the newSpa-
per publishers.
For example The Charlotte Observer
probably the largest user of news print in
North Carolina. announces that the addi-
tional cost of the paper bill next year,
based ON news print price raises which
have already been announced, will amount
to almost $4,000.
When the expense account is upped to
that extent. even i'm the case OF business
as large as that of The Observer, a real
problem is presented. a similar problem
is presented to every daily newspaper in
this country by the advance in cost of news
print. 1t will hit the daily press Of North
Carolina a reSomding blow Few newSpa-
pers in this State are making real money.
Few have been the North Carolina papers
that have ever been able to show profits
iustifying their capital investments and
the heavy costs of operation. Under the
conditions which have prevailed for the
past seven years newspaper publishers
have, believed themselves lucky to break
even, with their expense accounts. Many
of them have taken terrible Iickiugs in the
red
Newspapers have only two sources Of
income, advertising and circulation in
come. At the bottom of the depression,
in the nation as a whole, newspaper adj
vertising fell to exactly one-half of the
peak attained in the boom years. Some of
the loss in gross volume of business has
beenlregained, but large majority of the
country's papers are still far below their
peak. records. The net result is that the
income of newspapers is away below the
figures of prosperous years. The best that
a majority of the papers could do by way
of retrenchment and reduction of expenses
has not been sufficient to prevent losses or
guardsagainst precariOus financial condi-
tions;
Newspaper circulation has held up re-
markedly we'll; in fact, many daily news
papers now have more circulation than
they had before the depression; but this
circulation income is insufficient to meet
the requirements of total income made
necessary by reduced advertising revenue
Facing all the facts, the newspaper pub
Usher who is a good business man, who
fails,t see any wisdom in course which
will lose money in his business, or even en-
able him to break even, will decide to take
drastic action and do it rather promptly