Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-12-07
PINE BLUFF, ARK, DEC. 7. 1856
A Statement Challenged.

The largest and best paper ever printed regularly in Pine Bluff is the Weekly (comes out Sunday mornings) Commercial. This paper is not only the largest Weekly in the State, but has four times the cir culation of any Pine Bluff paper which is dated Sunday morning = Saturdays Commercial.
 We would not notice this and other bombastic statements of the Commercial were it not for the fact that our silence might be construed as an admission of its false state ments about it's circulation and that of other Pine Bluff papers.
 The so-called Sunday morning Commercial Gssued every Saturday evening at six o'clock and distrib- uted on Sunday morring), is it's weekly edition, and, of course, its weekly circulation should be greater and is than it's daily edition, and should also be greater than the daily edition of the Daily Sunday morning Graphic.
 But let us see as to the facts.
 The Sunday morning Graphic is it's daily edition. It is not our weekly. Our weekly, or rather semi weekly, is issued every Wednesday and Saturday morning, and there fore reaches It's readers with the news earlier and more often than any of its competitors. Weekly should be measured against weekly, but the Graphic is prepared to show that it's daily circulation every week Qncluding six issues) is greater than the six daily editions and the one weekly edition of the Commercial combined.
 Now as to the facts.
 The total number of copies of the Commercial printed daily is 13 quires, or 312 papers. The total number of copies printed of the so-called Sunday morning (weekly) Commercial is 29 quires, or e96 pa pers. The aggregate number of Commercials printed every week in cluding it's six daily editions and it's one weekly edition is, therefore, 2.568 copies. Mark you, this num- Der also includes the exchanges and the copies sent to foreign adver- tisers. There is also a duplicate circulation on part of the Sunday morning Commercial, for it's weekly edition is sent gratuitously to sub seribers in this city for it's daily edition, but since the weekly is simply rehash of the daily during the week, it is not read by the sub scribers for the daily, and is there fore practically worthless as an ad- vertising medium so far as this part Of it's circulation is concerned, and is practiced simply for the purpose of keeping up appearances. This du- plicate circulation is not legitimate circulation, and possesses no value to advertisers.
 The Daily Graphic (exclusive of it's Sunday edition) at present prints daily 20 quires or 480 pa pers. Up until October l, when nearly 100 names were dropped for non-papment of subscription, the Graphic printed B or 24 quires daily. The Sunday morning Graphic (daily editionl at present prints 24 quires, or 576 papers. Up to Octo- Der it printed 2S quires or 672 pa pers. at which time, as we have pre-. viously stated, a number of sub scribers were cut off for thenon-pay- ment of subscription.
 The aggregate number of copies printed by the Daily Graphic per week is, therefore, five editions of 48O copies, or 24O0 copies, and one edition (Sun- day morning. of 672 copies, making a total daily circulculation during the week of 3,O72 copies as against 2,568 copies of the daily and weekly Commercial combined
 In this estimate is not included the Graphic's semii-meeklY OF twice-