The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-26
MUST USE LESS PAPER


ana paper section of the War Indus
Tries Board, applying to weekly pa
pers' We must, beginning Sept. Is,
cut down our use of news print paper
Is per cent.
Inc method of securing this reduc-
ton is left to us but you will note
that several suggestions are made.
The first is to increase the subscrip-
tlon price if the paper is sold under
Sz.oO year. We believe our readers
VIII agree with us that If the average
weekly paper is supposed to be worth
that price, certainly the Commercial
should be worth it. But until Dec.
81, unless specially ordered to raise
by the government, we expect to con-
tinue the present price of $3.50 per
year. We hope that our readers will
appreciate this decision and will give
US credit for square dealing with
them. Surely they can understand
how easily we might point to present
conditions and justify an immediate
increase to $500 year.
Another suggestion is that we cut
off subscriptions Immediately upon
their expiration. AS we very nearly
do this now, we see no reason for
changing our policy. We notify sub.
scribers the first of the month that
their subscription will expire during
that month, send them another notice
when the date passes, and on the first
of the following month, if no message
has been received from them their
names are dropped. In this manner
we lose from one to four papers on
any subscriber who lets his paper be
discontinued. but this is courtesy we
believe is appreciated by enough of
our subscribers to warrant its con-
tinuance. Other suggestions OF the
board we have adopted long ago. In
fact, we have anticipated the order by
several months and have been effect
ed a saving, we believe, as great as is
now demanded.
There is one order which was pro-
mulgated recently but is not part
of this ruling That prohibits news
paper sending its issues to any man
or boy in the army or navy unless the
subscription is paid for either by the
soldier himself or by someone else.
The only exception is that of bona
fide employee of the paper, who expects
to return to the employment he left.
This order is one that we regret ex-
ceedngly. The Commercial was the
/, first newspaper in Florida to offer to
send the paper free to every boy or
man who Joined the colors, II he had
been accustomed to reading the Com
mercial at home. Others followed
our lead with variations and num-
Der of Florida papers have been sent
every week to the boys In camps and
at the front.
On Sept. Is, we will be compelled
to cut off all these free copies. It is
true we can save the Is per cent de-
manded without doing this, but II is
strict order and to disregard 1t would
be the same as disregarding an order
of the food administrator regarding
sugar Families who take the Com
mercial will then have to send their
| BOYS at the front their copies of the
paper after they have read them, or
subscribe for an extra copy to be sent
to the boys. The Commercial will do
this, however. We will pay the 81
cents postage necessary to send the
paper leaving us 80 cents for the sol
dier's subscription. No order has been
issued against doing this.
In order to conform to the new rul-
ing, it may be necessary for US occa-
sionally to issue an eight-page paper
but we will continue the twelve pages
as long as possible We need them
If we are to do our share of public
ity work for the government and still
give the local news .--Leesburg Com
mercial.