Year: 1876

AAo oPpobltlOn made TO the euuction IL
the price of the HERALD comes, rs we have
before pointed out, mainly, if not alto
gether, from q set of monopolist middlemen
who have become rich and imprudent by the
too long tolerance both of the public and
the proprietors of newspapers. The busi-
ness in which these news companies are en-
gagged is the supplying of retail dealers in
all parts of the country. So long as they
carried on this enterprise in a proper man
ner they were undoubtedly useful to the
public; but they have not been content with
that. Gradually they have imposed their
own terms upon the poor retailers, and
have not scrupled to drive out OF
business such of these as ventured
to resist their extortionate and op-
pressive demands. They have managed
to get control of whole editions Of some
| weekly papers and are constantly on the
alert to secure others, and their policy is to
sell to the retail dealers at such prices as
they choose to fix, and to prohibit these in.
dustrious men from buying their supplies
in any case at first hand and of the publish
| ers. Where these demands are resisted they
set up an opposition shop and undersell
their victim, or they refuse to supply him
with part of his goods unless he will buy
all of them.


That is to say, they aim to monopolize
and absolutely control on their own terms
the vast business Of distributing newspapers
and periodical publications of all kinds
AS an example Of this policy we print else
where to-day circular from q Detroit news
dealer, who has been punished for attempt
ing to buy direct Of publishers by having
a rival set up near his door, and
being refused leave to buy such papers
as the news monopolists control Observe:
he was first offered by the monopolists an
interest under their control in his own bust
ness, which he had created by thirty years
of industrious labor. Perhaps they are pre-
pairing to offer to the proprietor of the
HERALD also an interest in this journal. Re
fusing this, Mr.. Roys found rival estab-
lished near him, with the object of under
selling him. This business has gone on for
some years, and the American News Com
pany's signs have in that period taken the
places of the signs of good many formerly
independent dealers. Thus Robe at Albany.
Taylor at Baltimore, Smith at Philadelphia,
Pitlock at Pittsburg, Chandler at Newark,
Walsh at Chicago have disappeared, and in
their stead rule the Albany, Baltimore and
Chicago news companies, branches of the
American News Company. In some. at
least, of these cases men who had
established an independent and prosperous
business were compelled by the measures
their own business and submit to the control
of their masters, the monopolists.


! It seems to us to the manifest interest of
all publishers to maintain their own free
dom by establishing an open trade at a
uniform price with oil newsdealers This
| the HERALD has aimed to do, believing that
thus its own interests and those of it's read
ers and the public would be best served
Some years ago we had less than forty dealers
on our books We have now nearly thou
sand, and many Of these subdivide their
orders and thus swell the aggregate
number with whom we have business rela-
tions. We are now supplying newsdealers
from Portland, Me-, to Los Angeles. in
California, with from ten to ten thousand
copies each, and these are sold to them at
the same rates which we charge to the New
York News companies. We have found it
profitable to maintain this free trade with
all newsdealers, and advise other publishing
houses to the same course.


AS an example of the policy of these mo-
nopolists newsdealer in the State of New
York writes us:-"I would order both daily
and Sunday papers, but l doubt if the
American News Company would send the
balance of my order" He had ordered only
writes that he cannot get his HERALDs, ''that
monopoly is at its blundering tricks again.
1 rejoice that you are brave enough to do as
you please with your own paper in the face
of the American News Company" We
could print other letters of the same kind


OF course we shall not submit to the con-
troll of these monopolists. The HERALD is
published at three cents per copy. It is
sold to newsdealers at two and half cents,
and we will engage to deliver to city news
men at this rate without extra charge for de-
livery. AS for our trade without the city we
now control it, and mean to do so in the
future.


Advice Gratis to Comptroller Green.


Our interest in the fortunes of Mr.. Green
/ does not cease. When he received and ac-
cepted the unanimous nomination of the
| Ia1