The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-04-06
The Congressional Record Has Large
Circulation But Few People Read
II

The Congressional Record, pub
! lished daily by Congress, enjoys a
wide circulation among its contribu-
/ tors. but it never has been success
as newspaper. Although it has
nearly 800 reporters on its local
staff Senators and Congressmen-it
/ is scooped every day by every other
paper in the country The members
Of the staff never turn in line of
j copy except about themselves. If one
of them were sent out to cover a fire
he would make four-eolumn speech
to the firemen and turn it in as a
news story There is little chance
that the Record ever will become a
live newspaper until there is change
on the city desk What it needs is a
city editor who knows his business
and a few good copy readers to re-
write leads and throw some life into
the copy Without mentioning any
names the writer knows several
strong desk men who could
take a speech of United States Sen
atoF, throw away two-thirds of ii.
break the rest into Jim dash, pull the
news up into the lead slip in a few
lively subheads. throw some direct
a scare head on the whole and rail
road it into the first edition In some
thing less than nine minutes fiat, and
it would be a real story instead of
being marked optional, open page,
good for early editions only"
The Record carries no advertising
except. of course, the speeches
made by members. If members had
to pay space rates for these free read
ing notices the Record would be a
paying sheet Strangers in Washing
ton who have picked up the Record
hurriedly to consult the help wanted
column have searched its pages in
vain. 1t carries no theatrical news
and no editorials, and, although ii
is full of quotations, none of them are
on the stock market. The scene
which takes place in the Record city
room every day is enough to indicate
to anybody the theory on which it is
published.
We'll, gentlemen" says the city
editor to his staff, the advertising de-
partment hasn't sent up any schedule
today. so there'll be plenty of space.
What have we got for outsider"
Here's a seven-column speech |
made today" says a Congressman.
on House bill 1896. providing for
the revision of the mining laws in
the island of Guam. It's rather a
neat thing, | think"
1T sounds good" says the city edi-
tor. I'VE have not had a good story
about Guam for a week. Put it on
the hook. Senator, anything good
break on your run today?"
Yes, | picked up a few little fea-
lures" says the Senator. Here's a
speech | made on Senate bill 1853,
entitled, An act to amend an act to
codify the regulations relating to the
transfer of malt liquor from distil-
leres to bonded warehouses; | spoke
four hours on the bill, and think
brought out some entirely new
points"
Sounds like a human interest
story says the city editor. Send it
upstairs and have EN- double lead it,
Who else has something light and
frothy?"
Here's a deft little thing | have
thrown together says another Sen
ator. ITS my speech on the bill
providing quarantine regulations
against the importation of sheep with
the gid. If do say it myself, | think
| have given il some rather clever
touches"
That's the kind of stuff we want"
says the city editor Il see we're
going to have good paper today.
Now, If we just had a little some
thing with heart throbs and a few
tears in it, we'd be fixed"
Il think | can supply a few sobs,"
says member of the Committee on
the Irrigation and Reclamation of
Arid Lands. Il delivered rather
telling little speech of two hours this
morning on the bill authorizing the
building of a dam across the Bunc-
Bunc river. When | got through
there wasn't senator left in the
chamber My information is they
had all gone out to cry. | can give
you about four columns of that If IT
would help out"
Fine" says the city editor. you
are the best bunch of reporters ever
got together. | figure that We'll have
1870 pages of solid nonpariel today to
gladden. the firesides of our subscrib-
ers. Anybody got anything for the
joke column"
Here's my bill permitting the pa
tenting of coal lands by the Coal
Trust" says a Senator.
DO you think the people will see
the point?" asks the city editor
NO says the Senator, shrieking
with laughter; that's where the joke
comes in-it's on them"
That fills all the departments,
says the city editor, and we'll now
go in. We probably will miss all the
mails and not be on the street until
several hours after all the other pa
pers, but what's the difference? Our
circulation Is guaranteed by Con-
gress, which says that two copies
must be mailed to each member every
day. Now, everybody hustle out and
get some more speeches for tomorrow,
and don't forget to insert the words
laughter and applause at the end of
every third paragraph. kansas
City Star.