Year: 1862

The TAX ON NEwsPAPERs-Irs OPERATION


The burdens imposed by the war on the news


paper press, in common with every other in


terest, will effect remarkable revolution in its
present status. The necessity for economy in


bii'iness, as well as social arrangements, which


will grow out of the new order of things, will
tend to retrench not only the number Of exist
ing Journals, but the amount of circulation and
advertising patronage enjoyed by the greater
portion of them. Where ~on has in


the habit of buying two or thret ~" spapers


daily, he will now content himself with one,


and that will naturally be the journal which


gives him the best value for his money. In


advertising he will use still greater circum-
spection. He may alternate the journals that


he reads and yet spend only the price. OF one;


but he cannot alternate his choice of an ad-


vertising Medium without injury to his business.


The newspaper that circulates the most widely


must ever command his patronage. He will
reason, and reason justly, that single adver-
tisement in the HERALD, which has circulation
Of over 100000, and is read by nearly 100000
persons daily, offers him greater advantages on
the score of economy than half dozen adver


tisements in the other dailies whose combined


circulation does not equal that amount. For


merly, when the rates Of advertisements were


lower, and when we had little or no taxation to
support, this consideration was not Of so much
Importance to him; but now that he has to


weigh the value Of every cent that he expends,


he can no longer afford to disregard it.


II is noteworthy how these influences are al


ready beginning to affect our daily contempo-


raries. Take, for example, their theatrical


columns for the past fortnight, and it will be


found that the advertisements under this head


have either been greatly curtailed or altogether


omitted. No class have greater need of pub


licity than managers, and if they have found it


necessary to retrench in this way we can Judge


Of the effect that will be produced on the ex-


penditure of advertisers generally. OF course
the papers that cannot continue to command


the business patronage of the public under the


new order of things have only the choice Of


two alternatives-to suspend publication or to


raise the price Of their issues. There are hut


few Of them that possess sufficient interest to
justify them in resorting to the latter expedi-


ent; SO that the result will be that large pro-


portion of the existing newspapers, weekly and


daily, but especially the former, will pass out


Of existence. If, as we believe, the tone and


character Of the remaining journals will under


go an Improvement commensurate with their


increased responsibilities, we do not see that


there will be any reason to deplore the diminu-


ton Of the number.


UNwARRANTABLE INTERFERENCE WITH RECRUIT


Na.--A handful of individuals in this city,


calling themselves National War Com


mittee, have proposed to raise fifty thou
sand troops, to be placed under the COM
mand of Generals Mitchell and Fremont. AS
il was known to the committee that General


Mitchell had already been assigned to Hunters


command on tho coast OF South Carolina, the


object is, Of course, to place General Fremont


at the head Of the $4,000 men. Where
is their authority for such a step? The commit
tee do not inform us in what way these men are
to be used-whether as an Independent corps,
or under the direction of the government We
want no imperium in imper;o, and no i'm
pudent Jacobin Committee We have no OBJ
lection to General Fremont and his friends
raising $4,000 mon. That would be doing some
thing for the country. But let them be
placed at the disposal of the government,
where they will be distributed among the corps
whose ranks need TO be filed up. or proper
commander will be assigned to them; for GER
tain il is that Fremont is not the right man 10
lead $4,000 men.


To attempt to raise an independent corps
at time when the government needs re-
cruits to ill up the old decimated regi-
ments, is any thing but iudicious. To say the
least, the tendency is to prevent enlistments.
The federal government ought to have
the management and control OF aI troops
for the war, and, il any are needed in ad-
dition for the defence Of the State. let the
Governor initiate the course of the Cover
nor Of Pennsylvania and raise them; but We
object to any but the constituted authorities
taking charge Of such matters. Let law and
order be observed, and confusion avoided.
Meantime let the committee beware Of violating
the order Of Secretary Stanton, they viii very
soon end themselves in the same quarters with
the ten members Of an insurance agency who
rrematnrely undertook 10 procure substitutes
for drafted men.


MoaE GRIEF IN TIE CoNFypENcE SUBSTITUTE
LINE The managers Of the World are still be-
vailing the stopping of their confidence busi-
ness in the substitute line, and have evidently
not been able as yet to devise any other con-
fdsnce dodge to make up for the loss of their
anticipated profits in that business. The dis


charge of Mr.. Ballard, one of the parties ar


rested for engaging in the substitute agency,
instsld IL snothinc tho World onlY increases ia