large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb_70
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb
English
7264
To read Shaw or Wells or Gilbert or Cecil Chesterton or Quiller Couch or any one of twenty others in the "New Witness" is to be in another world from the sludge and grind of the official weekly. But the boycott is rigid and therefore the supply is intermittent. It is not only a boycott of advertisement: it is a boycott of quotation. TO READ SHAW OR WELLS OR GILBERT OR CECIL CHESTERTOWN OR QUILLER COUCH OR ANY ONE OF THE TWENTY OTHERS IN THE NEW WITNESS IS TO BE IN ANOTHER WORLD FROM THE SLEDGE AND GRIND OF THE OFFICIAL WEEKLY BUT THE BOY COT IS RIGID AND THEREFORE THE SUPPLY IS INTERMITTENT IT IS NOT ONLY A BOY COT OF ADVERTISEMENT IT IS A BOY COT OF QUOTATION
is persistently maintained. The effect is that the Free Press cannot give in space and quality of paper, excellence of distribution, and the rest, what the Official Press can give; for it lacks advertisement subsidy. This is a very grave economic handicap indeed. In part the Free Press is indirectly supported by a subsidy from its own writers. Men whose writing commands high payment will contribute to the Free Press sometimes for small fees, usually for nothing; but, at any rate, always well below their market prices. But contribution of that kind is always precarious, and, if I may use the word, jerky. Meanwhile, it does not fill a paper. It is true that the level of writing in the Free Press is very much higher than in the Official Press. To compare the Notes in "The New Age," for instance, with the Notes in the "Spectator" is to discern a contrast like that between one's chosen conversation with equals, and one's forced conversation with commercial travellers in a rail-way carriage. VE THE BOYCOT IS DELIBERATE AND IS PERSISTENTLY MAINTAINED THE EFFECT IS THAT THE FREE PRESS CANNOT GIVE IN SPACE AND QUALITY OF PAPER EXCELLENCE OF DISTRIBUTION AND THE REST WHAT THE OFFICIAL PRESS CAN GIVE FOR IT LACKS ADVERTISEMENT SUBSIDY THAT IS A VERY GRAVE ECONOMIC HANDICAP INDEED IN PART THE FREE PRESS IS INDIRECTLY SUPPORTED BY A SUBSIDY FROM ITS OWN WRITERS MEN WHOSE WRITING COMMANDS HIGH PAYMENT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE FREE PRESS SOMETIMES FOR SMALL FEES USUALLY FOR NOTHING BUT AT ANY RATE ALWAYS WELL BELOW THEIR MARKET PRICES BUT CONTRIBUTION OF THAT KIND IS ALWAYS PRECARIOUS AND IF I MAY USE THE WORD JERKY MEANWHILE IT DOES NOT FILL A PAPER IT IS TRUE THAT THE LEVEL OF WRITING IN THE FREE PRESS IS VERY MUCH HIGHER THAN THE OFFICIAL PRESS TO COMPARE THE NOTES IN THE NEW AGE FOR INSTANCE WITH THE NOTES IN THE SPECTATOR IS TO DISCERN A CONTRAST LIKE THAT BETWEEN ONE'S CHOSEN CONVERSATION WITH EQUALS AND ONE'S FORCED CONVERSATION WITH COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS ON A RAILWAY CARRIAGE
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_12_belloc_64kb
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