San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-27
BY ROBERT Il. SMALL.

paper making.
Each paper is being issued from its
own plant in its own typographical
makeup. but in accordance with an
/ agreement strictly adhered 10, no ma
per makes use of its own name cx-
cept TO list it anon: all the other
papers who are in the fight against
the unlawful strike.
This cloak Of anonymity thrown
i about the papers has resulted in many
! things.
In the first place the editorial page
was completely discarded.
Not being able TO assert their own
identity the papers naturally could not
express convincing views On any. sub.
jet.
And no editorial page. common to
oil. could be devised.
In their endcav,r to maintain some
measure OF individuality the papers
have chung like grim death to the
fixed features which gave them dis
tinction.
Although barred from using their
own names. they have not been barred
from using the names of contributors.
These names. familiar 10 readers,
have been given unusual prominence,
and through them newspaper readers
have been able to identify their IA
sorite journal despite the fact tnat
all Of the papers have exactly SINH.
lar headings. =
Under the caption The Combined
New York Newspapers. appear the
familiar headings of all tle papers in
the combine. in greatly tedu ed fac
SMILES.
The names are arranged dlphabetic-
ally. so that only one morning news
paper and one afternoon newspaper is
fortunate enough to begin the list with
its own name.
The New York World. FOR instance.
has TO carry the name of the New
York American first in the long list
of names.
The New York editors. fighting for
identity. Rave deliberat, sacrificed
news in order % give space to the
familia. features which have made
their papers different from others. :,
This has applied Iliho to special
writer's and special ar.Ist..
The confusion of the first few days
rs TO the identity of the several pa
pers resulted in some strange cirCr-
'ation stunts.
One after noon paper with an aver.
age circulation something Ike 10000
copies. jumped 10 10000 comics.
Papers with huge circulation slump
% to half their normal figures.
This was when an effort was made
just to print the news.
Then came the realization that feat.
ures must be depended upon 10 .s.
tablish and maintain iden ity and dis.
tinction.
Now he flow is getting back to
normal percentage.
Publishers found that '.fference in
typographical makeup was not quick.
ly realized by the readers in the h.
sence of the familiar first page head
ing.
One morning paper found that with
out its own caption its Typographical
makeup was entirely too much like
another morning newspaper.
The owner of the paper ordered a
change.
He ordered the morhing paper TO
adopt the type and style of his afte.-
noon newspaper in this city.
Then came the confusion of late
morning editions aud early afternoon
editions appearing on the same news.
stands.
Readers scarcely knew which was
which.
The owner is anxiorsly waiting for
me strike period % be declared off !
cially over 50 that his papers can get
back TO some sort of normally.
The papers combined under the |
c:oHk of anonymity so that no one |
paper would be justified in trying 10
take advantage of another.
1t was at first suggest, that each |
paper continue in its original form. |
printing a notice on the first mage
that an agreement had been reached !
10 limit all papers. to a gwen number |
of pages.
This idea was discarded BY the pub |
fishers after mature ,onsi itratIon.
The absenc, of newspaper adyertis. !
ing unquestiOnably has had serious |
effect on trade in New FORK during
Inv .dst ltu udgS.
This is particularly true of the big
department stores.
They lave had no means of present
ing the news" OF their special sales |
TO the women readers.
In the absence of this lure. the shop. !
pers have either remained at home ~
purchased JUST such necessities as came
to their mind
One old New York house has adop,
cd the plan Of putting full pay.
advertisement in suburban papers not
affected by the strike and having hun.
dreds of copies # the lad" available
for distribution at the store.
Publishers have not $ vet been
able TO get the reaction of the public
10 the absence Of editorial pages.
They say their editions have bcrr
so limited and the n.icaps so thor.
oughly understood by the people that
they have had few letters on The sui
jcct one way or the cher.
Among the hundreds of thousand,
OF commuters on .he train leading into
New YIrk each day, However. there
is plenty Of discussion of the newsna
pers and many readers frankly saw
that the absence of editorials on IN,
bigger questions Of the day leave them
in a doubtful frame OF mine.
They nave become accus ,oneI to the
newspapers thinking for them. ami
miss the brain fooL" that the cdi
torial pages provide.