The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-06
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MURAT HALsIEAp WOULD LIKE TO TRY AN
EIGHT-PAGE SUNDAY PAPER.

EIGHT-PAGE SUNDAY PAPER
There will be no great change, says Mr.. Hal.
stead, in the newspaper OF the near future. /
don't believe there will be any great change in
anything in the near future. Now, whether the
daily newspaper in this country will continue
TO trench on the magazine tield is puzzle to
me- may say candidly that do not like the
present Sunday newspaper, speaking now of
course as an individual IL is too large, too
miscellaneous, too much like the old fashioned
country NOW in the upper story of the barn,
stuffed full of hay. OF course one has to con-
cede something to the popular demand for q
great deal OF reading matter on sun iay, and
that such is the popular demand cannot be
doubted. But as newspaper reader do not
Ike the present style of sunday edition. II is a
part OF my occupation to read the New York
newspapers every day, and sunday too. / do
not find it as great burden as il m .ght seem, as
am rapid reader, and often find ii only neces-
sary TO glance at page or an article. But If
had giddy capitalist behind me, should like.
TO try a sunday newspaper with eight pages
only, with all the news in it! OF course
the news would have To be cut down
carefully, and on great advertising occasions |
would print ten pages in my sunday paper, but
not more. AS 1t is now advertisers seem to
think they pay their money and have a right to
put in pretty much what they choose, page at
a time. But such great little newspaper il
seems to me would be entirely practicable since
as Hoe makes presses now, six pages can be
printed without trouble if necessary in a daily
issue and eight or ten as one chooses on Sun
day. 1t would be my idea to have system in the
advertising and reluce the practice OF dumping
in whole pages of announcements The ysry
best part OF the work OF journalism is to get the
news into a small space. / do not moan that the
higher forms of editorial expression are not i'm
portant, if one has anything to say, but two and
half columns OF editorial matter would be
The terror of the New York newspaper is its
enormous staff, so big and smart that these
great editions are necessity in order to give it
play. Why, the German imperial staff Is not
more formidable! II were in contact with il
would elope or the staff would, and believe it
would be I.
If there is any change in the near future In
the price of the daily newspapers, il will be an
advance and not a reduction. / do not see that
paper ought to be cheaper; We are paying now
one-sixth OF the price we paid for paper during
the war and about oue-third of what we paid In
gold after the war. There used TO be some at
tempt to be humorous at the expenseof senator
Why, II was the greatest thing in the world for
us wh4 they got to making paper out of wood
pulp. What makes the London penny press pos
sibe is the espartero grass they get from Algeria
in whole ship loads, and out OF which they make
the cheapest paper in the world. This grass
grows to some extent in Florida, but not yet in
available quantities.
As to the size and shape of the newspaper OF
the future, would say that the page of the
New York Herald is about my idea OF the cor
rect thing. While it looks well to have the adj
yertising sheet folded outside, as the Herald
does, the better way, think, is TO make up the
strong news OF the paper on the first page, at
tractiyely headined and so folded as to ofler on
But, after all, most people select their news
papers without reference to their looks. Head
lining is decidedly overdone, and many news
papers have entirely too much space given to it,
Whether or not there il q field in this country
for such newspaper as the Petit Journal is a
grave question; doubt ii. The Petit Journal
isa queer little sheet; IL levies upon all France
for its sensations of one kind or another and
prints every day a story, fashioned TO the French
taste. In spite OF its small size ii gives space
freely to this 1t does not go into the details Of
Y IN lie ana ar fa
ally something which has happened IN a French
city. Anything of great importance in the
world will be generally found in very brief form.
so great is the space lett free by this method that
there is room for the other features, the
teutteton and the political comuunica-
ton. The, Herald Is more like Pa
risian newspaper than any other American
journal; 1t has the touch OF the boulevard. And
yet there is a something very taking about that
catch phrase of the Sun: ''If you see il in the
SUM- it's so" As for circulation, should think
the circulation of the New York World about as
great as that of paper of that size could go.
But hrst-class one-ceDt newspaper, well
and appearance, and with abundant capital,
might, IL seems TO me, fly very far and pass any
OF them. Such a morning newspaper, for in
stance, as the Erening sun, which is more COM
pact than most of the penny papers would be.
wouldn't like to say anything III disparage-
ment OF scheme on the part OF a newspaper
proprietor to provide in any way Tor ms EN-
Inpioyer to let his people alone outside OF the
Office.
As to the tendency of modern newspapers TO
print personalities, do not know how far a
newspaper man Ought to respect the private af-
fairs OF a scoundrel-a man whose occupation
is obviously putting the peoples money into his
pockets. There has certainly been great pro-
gross in invading private lie on such occasions
as weddings and the like. This is no doubt
certain sort of news. Much depends on the
taste, and the people call for what they want
and they are very apt 10 get it. 1t is they who
control. As for personalities, pure ana simple,
such as minute descriptions OF the shape and
color Of the rosettes worn by Mrs Jones coach
man. or the top boots OF MI: smiths tootman,
that, II seems to me, toleraDle only when taken
IN a humorous sense.
About the rank Of journalism as compared
with other liberal professions do not know.
The rank is but the guineas stamp. The lib
eral professions are overdone as, no doubt, Is
journalism also
Illustration, fancy. hss come to stay, not for
its own sake, but as an adjunct 10 the news. II
Is not likely that a very mucn better class OF pic
lures, from an artistic point OF view, will be
printed ia the daily newspapers eny time soon,
on account OF the high rate OF speed at which
they are printed. Artists are Improving in their
ability 10 sketch for newspapers, and there has
been a striking advance in the quality and it,
ness Of their work in the last decade. Formerly
the pictures of people printed In the press were
caricatures, but now they are very often real
LkeEesses.