all a cost-finding system, but Mr. Bing demonstrates that it is just as essential to the success of the smaller ofiices, even the "one-man shop."
He explains the Standard cost finding system in detail and makes a strong appeal to the country publisher to know his costs. "No paper,"he says, "which is not a prosperous, growing concern is likely to have the editorial prestige and constructive influence which are the chief ends of any newspaper."
Here, in a nutshell, quoting from the book, is the country editor's problem: "If he does not get out a good, live paper, he has difficulty in building up a circulation; if he has not a good circulation, he cannot get advertising to pay, and if he cannot get the advertising he cannot run a live paper because of the limitations of his income and the attention which must be given to the job oflice in the attempt to make it support the publishing business. The whole thing works in a vicious circle."
The first thing, then, is local news. "That is what makes the backbone of the country paper," says the author, and he puts it up to the newspaper man in pretty strong language. Listen to this: "The editor-publisher of a weekly paper should be decently honest. He has contracted with each of his subscribers, at the rate of $1.50 a year (certainly it ought not to be less than that) to furnish the local news. If he fails in the performance of this fundamental duty, no matter what the excellence of his editorials, no matter how entertaining his 'features,' no matter how beneficent his plans _for community betterment, he is a failure in his profession—and, what is worse, he is a fraud. Some people like editorials, some like entertainment, some like helpful and practical hints, but everybody wants local news." Professor Bing more than makes up for these rather harsh words, however, in his suggestions for gathering and writing the news.
Plans are outlined that make it easy to cover the local field. The author believes in systematizing every department, news gathering as well as any other, and presents an outline that could be used to advantage in any country office. The experienced newspaperman may complain that more space than seems necessary is devoted to the writing of the news. Not that the suggestions are at fault in any particular—the beginner will be greatly benefltted by reading them——but nearly every country newspaperman has a style all his own, which, though it may not measure up to Mr. Bing's standard, his readers wouldn't have changed for the world. The chapters on newswriting, personals, heads and various other branches are copiously illustrated with clippings from various country weeklies, most of them good, though there is a rather frequent occurence of samples that do not effectively illustrate the points under discussion.
The author lays particular stress on the value of country correspondence and tells how to get and hold correspondents. Farm news is always good reading for a rural community, and suggestions are given which if carried out will make the paper a necessity among the farmers.
Every phase of the country newspaper is handled, including editorial,
