THE PRINTER AND PUBLISHER

THE EDITORIAL PAGE MAKE UP.
Newpaperdomi.
A GOOD deal of attention has been drawn to the ditorial
particularly those of a political nature, that have appea
ed in The New York Journal since the opening of the can
paign. It is not our intention to enter into any analysis of th
caus that have contributed in bringing about this draft of put
lic attention; that such is a fact is patent to anyone travellin
into the city every morning, and observing the newspaper reader
in the cars.
What we desire to call special attention to is the irregula
make-up of the editorial page of The Journal, and perhaps on
or two other papers which have followed suit. The principa
articles-" leaders " they can hardly be called, since they dt
not lead off the page, as is the custom where this term is use(
to designate the article of chief importance-are set in doublb
measure and double leaded, and when two or more are used
one of them begins at the top of the second column, endi
where it will down the column length, and is followed by a con
tinuation of the single-column short stuff that began the page.
This is carried over to the fourth and fifth columns-sometimes
-and the second double-column article is set anywhere, either
in the centre or above or below it, just as it seems to come to
the hands of the make-up. Other single-colusmn articles are
then used to fill up.
We fail to see anything to recommend this new style of lay-
ing out the page. Long lines are trying to the eye of the reader,
and when extracts are single-leaded (which of course is right)
reading becones a positive hardship by reason of the more
solid appearance. Again, this is added to when the reader is
compelled to jump from single to double measure, back and
forth, several times in one page.
To our mind, there is nothing better tha t n tbegin th edi-
torial page with the best the editor has to offer his readers; then,
after a proper proportion of heavy rnatter, to wind up with the
light chaff and witticisms that the readers are now invited to be-
fore partaking of the solid food.
If the editorial is considered too long for single measure,
and there are other long articles to follow, what could be better
than to divid te e entire page into equal column widths of a
broader gauge ? Suppose the page is seven columns of thirteen
picas each, with six nonpareil column rules; the sum of these
would give ninety-four picas in all. Five columns of eighteen
picas each, with four rules of a pica each, would produce a bet-
ter-looking page, in our opinion, and certainly be easier on the
reader than the present arrangementt And there would be no
need to put a nonpareil more space on one side of the column
than on the other, in order to set the matter in even picas.
With respect to extracts, we would suggest an indention on each
side of one em, beside reducin th sping bet the in the lines.
TH FREE NOTICE IMPOSITION.
The Post has received a copy of Stovel's pocket directory of
Manitoba, with a circular asking for a notice and a marked
copy of the same. On the title-page of the booklet is the state-
tment that it rtls at 5 cents. As the minimum charge for
a transi?ent nre otice is 50 cents, the proposed exchange
an carcely beconsidered on an equitable basis The incident
is wey of mention only as a saple of the assurance of a

great many advertisers. It is not an uncommon thing for
several dollars worth of advertising to be asked in exchange for
a 40 or so-cent article or book. And a great many papers
comply with a meekness which must be very satisfactory to the
other party. These offers, when received by papers conducted
on a business basis, usually get no further than the waste-basket.
While writing, a weekly exchange comes to hand in which the
5-cent directory gets its notice, which would cost as an adver.
tisement 70 cents.

r ONE LETTER WROUGHT THE HAVOC.
e A certain bachelor editor of a northern Iowa town is in a
predicament, so an exchange avers, as the result of a careless
proof-reader. Having occason to apologize to his readers for
d a delay in issuing his paper, he wrote: " We beg the indul-
e gence of our readers for being a day late this week. Our failure
to get out on time was on aecount of the physical demoralization
s of the editor, caused by sleeping too close to the boarding house
window." The compositor set the last word " widow," and the
proof-reader failed to discover the omission of the " n.'-Our
Advertiser
THE DEATH NOTICE COLUMN.
The manager of a Detroit daily paper once received the
following letter:
IEn*. I,-I notice tht your pper do not eontaia mnay dea notieas I like to
deah noe, and if ya ou eaot publish me of them, 1 iu1 have to tp tkig your
palmr. Yours txuly, .
He replied at once:
DAnR M In eply to ur letter, I desire, toi thba s e that as we b the notiee
of ahl dts er, you shaoud uot hold this peMrr .pible ?for the isLffiet un-
ber. We de.te, howeer, to pilase our MeMtrs. ad wUl there m entio your rque
to. tBe ofour docto., who -arly hve thu ntte?r itan their otol, and ree , i we can-
not pubhfih a eoluan t ls of e notioes In eat ie h s rae.
Yors reipetfully. etc.
This reads like a good joke, but it suggests an actual plan
pursued by one Canadian paper at least in the publication of
death notices. The local announcements are recruited by
otbers appearing in the principal papers of the country, so that
the column becomes an obituary record like that of The Lon
don Times. Women especially like to read births, marriages
and deaths, and from the news point of view the question of
maintiaining a column of this kind is worth considering.
THE QUESTION OF PRICES.
IGNING " One of the Publishers," a correspondent writes:
I "I had supposed that PRINTER AND PUBLISHER, as its
name implies, was published in the interests of printers and
publishers. But it is quite evident, from your issue for June,
that you are much more concered abot helping to maintain
prices for the manufacturers than enabling their customers to
buy at the lowest possible rates. I can't see how such a policy
will enable you to maintain a circulation." Our correspondent
in supposing that we have any desire to unduly aid manufac-
turers is mistaken. If he alludes to paper manufacturers, he
will find, on enquiry, that most of them think we tend to de-
press prices, and refuse to advertise on that account. If he
alludes to manufacturers ot job printing, he will find that we
favor good, but not exorbitant, prices. All round, we favor a
fair profit on every line of manufacture. Against monopolies
or inflated prices we shall always protest in the interest of
readers.

Augut, 196 il

li

i