New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-28

The physical conditions of journalism
occupy the greater part of Mr.. Donald's
treatise. or this subject he is master.
and one proof Of his mastery is his
power OF stating q case without over
much recourse 80 figures. There are
fewer newspapers in proportion 10 pop
ulation than there were twenty years
ago. In the chief centres OF population
| they are actually fewer Circulation
has none the less increased. Such
papers es exist, are in the hands OF
fewer owners; and those owners are
largely corporations. Mr.. Donald alb
stains from examples or he might have
instanced the most striking OF sall:
The Times itself is no longer the
property OF the Walters. but OF a cor
poration. Indiyidua' ownership is. with
, a few exceptions. thing OF the past
Newspaper-owning companies with
capital Of millions figure on the London
Stock Exchange list: dozen d, them;
| and many more on other lists There
are twenty-siX newspaper limited liabil-
ity companies; all formed during the
last quarter of a century: and private
limited companies are numerous. What
is the effect? The effect is that news
papers are now produced primarily for
the purpose OF distributing dividends
among a vast number of shareholders
Moreover. as happens in other indus
tries. these companies have in some
cases combined ard in others have
acquired possession each OF many
papers once separately owned. There
have been absorptions. alliances ANAL
carnations, and the amalgamations are
enormously profitable. They are
trusts. The one best known and l sup
pose by far the largest and most power
ful, The Amalgamated Press. is be-
lieved 20 pay 90 per cent per annum.
That is Lord Northcliffe's company. or
one Of his companies.
Not only the ownership but the edi-
torship is directly affected. II is sup
posed 70 be news which sells the paper,
and therefore news and the profits
arising out Of news are regarded as
more important than editorial work
a short sighted view. but one which
prevails. Mr. Donald thinks II affects
also the position OF journalists. The
old relation between proprietor and
editor IL gone. A certain type OF jour
nalist is also gone or going-the writ
ing editor is becoming extinct: ne who
dominated the whole newspaper with
the strength of his personality and
whose influence permeated among his
readers" The sentence might have
beer written 10 describe Mr. Greeley.
but was not. Mr.. Donald's distinction
may not be very clear 10 the non-pro-
fessional, but he condenses ii all into
the statement that in place OF the writ
ing editor I'VE now have several edi-
tors and many writers. with one chief
or managing editor He gives no
names. ! should say that he had in
mind as dominating personalities in the
old days such men as Mr.. Mudford OF
The Standard; Mr.. Frank Hill. OF
The Daily News: Mr.. Frederick
Greenwood and Mr.. John Morley both
successfully editors OF The Pail Mall
Gazette" and no one at all on The
Times" since Mr. Delane was never a
writer, nor was Mr.. Buckle, and Mr..
Chenery did not count.
Nevertheless, the brain power in the
Press has not diminished but has in
creased, and Mr.. Donald thinks the
writing better than ever; a moot point.
Some Of ii is certainly worse. But the
proportion OF brain power employed
in organization and administration is
much greater. What is called the ma
tionalization Of the London Press has
been relentlessly carried out. BY news
paper trains. by motors. and other
means OF rapid distribution. the Lon
don papers, or some Of them, have made
all England a mere suburb Of London.
They used 10 reach Manchester AZ I'D
o'clock in the morning. They are now
hid on the Manchester breakfast table
side by side with THE Manchester
Guardian" which is. though deplorably
radical, a journal too powerful and
PROSPEROUS 10 be disturbed by kind OF
competition that is a serious menace 10
weaker papers. one or two London
journals. OF which THE Daily MALI Is
the chief, print provincial editions
winch are practically facsimiles Of
the London, and appear at the same
hour. THE Daily Mall even goes'so
far afield as Paris, where. in point OF
news. il has but one rival, lie Matin.
That is a case not merely OF nationai-
zation but Of Observation-Disclosures.
believe all these experiments are finan-
ciany successful.
But the attempt TO annihilate space
and time altered the conditions OF the
London Journalists life. Mr.. Delane
and Mr.. Buckle used TO begin their
nights work at half past ten in the
evening. Delane reckoned the dinner
Marty 10 which he went nightly, the
crown of his days work; since it was
there he co-ordinated and revised the
,,,,nressions he had collected during the
dav by his daily talks with Ministers
oreat fnanciers. and the rest. No one
of his successors had the facilities
which were his. and II Delane were