Democratic messenger., 1910-11-12
THEFRUCAL DUTCH
Economical In Their Use of the
Daily Papers.
ONE JOURNAL READ BY MANY
A Number Of Families Will Subscribe
For q Single Paper. Which Goes the
Rounds--Some Thrifty Souls Will
Only Rent Their Newspapers.

For . Single Paper. Which Goes the
Rounds--Some Thrifty Souls Will
Only Rent Their Newspapers.
One thing visitors to Holland notice.
and that is that no one on the streets
or IN the cars Is seen reading a news
paper. Papers are not sold or hawked
ms they are In England and America.
II Is only when extremely important
events take place and the papers print
special bulletins" that these are some
times bought In the street. Usually
the people content themselves by read
Ing these same bulletins when they are
displayed In the windows OF cigar
shops. booksellers shops or at the Of
iices Of the newspapers, for the Dutch
people economize in their reading mat
ter. Many curious ways have been
devised TO reconcile economy with q
plentiful supply OF news and informa-
ton
Two. three or more families will COM
bine to subscribe for one paper. which
is then read by each In turn. The
one who gets 1t first pays little moro
than the later readers. and each may
keep II for stipulated time-an hour
or perhaps two or three hours or half
day In this way II is generally only
the head OF the house" who gathers
In any information. He monopoizes the
paper as soon as Il comes and keeps
IL as long as lac can. The other men,
bers Of the family then 20 without
news or are only enriched by tho
crumbs OF knowledge that now and
then drop from the lips OF paterfamil-
las.
Most Of the daily papers in Holland
are issued IN the evening. but some
Of the more important ones publish
morning editions M well. TO subscribe
for more than one paper Is considered
terrible extravaganza. and even a
whole" subscription for one family
alone Is looked upon as n luxury. At
the clubs and the coffee houses" the
Dutch equivalent OF the American sa-
loon. there are always newspapers in
pIoiusiOu, uuu Nt's H"hs uSA Wv u.s.
their reading there and so save the
subscription fees. for they don't count
the cost OF what they imbibe.
Many cigar shops and sometimes
other stores have what they call de
pots" OF newspapers, and there you
can also rent q paper aud take II
home with you for q certain length OF
time for very little money indeed.
But the longing for information or
the average Dutchnan OF the middle
classes extends far beyond the daily
papers. He wishes to know all about
his ncighbors far and near. and at the
same time he wants 10 keep up his
knowledge OF the languages learned at
school. For these purposes reading
societies are formed either among
friends or people living IN the same
neighborhood or perhaps all the OIL
GERS of a certain regiment will com
bine; then committee will De select
ed from among the members on which
viii devolve the task Of selecting suit
able weekly papers or monthly maga-
zines In English. French. German ana
Dutch and to circulate these among
the members of the society. These
books aud papers are sent round In
large portfolios either once or twice
week. MS may have been agreed upon.
So those joining such a society can
read all the best English. American.
German and Dutch periodicals at n
slight cost
or course you don't always get the
magazines as soon as they come out
This is carefully regulated according
to the size Of your contribution. and
many people read their Christmas sto-
ries In June Still. II keeps up an in
terest IN the world at large and helps
10 keep fresh In the mind all that has
been learned In youth.
II the head OF the house gets most
of the daily papers il Is with the Pc
rlodicals that the other members OF
the household have their innings. They
can read them while father IL at his
bureau or at his office. Sometimes an
cnterprising bookseller starts one or
more circulating portfolios In his
neighborhood. anu tniS ~ lhahaseu W"
the same lines as the private reading
societies
At the end Of the year the old perl
odicals and books that have been the
round of all the subscribers are sold
by auction among the members Of the
association.
People visiting Holland are often
surprised to Gnd how well nearly ev.
cry one In the country speaks Foreign
languages and how much he knows
OF the literature of other lands. IL
we take the above facts into consider
alton II will no longer seem 80 aston
ishing. w. J. l.. Kichl In Chicago
News.
The Riaht Flavor.