Thanks to Sir EDWARD CARSON--or, as _The Times_ prefers to put it, "the
grave importance of the present political situation"--the price of _The
Times_ has fallen to one penny.
While it must be admitted that the famous journal is well worth a penny,
we think it only fair to say that certain issues of _The Daily Mail_ and
_Evening News_ last week, whose amazing editorial organisations were so
freely and disinterestedly engaged in overcoming colossal obstacles in
order to give information about the approaching revolution, were worth
anything from fourpence to ninepence apiece.
If these philanthropic journals had not been behind _The Times_ last
week, what might we not have missed? Who, for instance, would have
learned that; "the price (2d.) ... was equivalent to that of one penny
paper and two halfpenny papers _per diem_"? We have checked that
statement, with the aid of a ready-reckoner and a Latin dictionary, and
we find it substantially correct. We are also able to agree to the
further statement made last Thursday, that "from Monday next _The
Times_, together with any one of the halfpenny morning papers, will be
obtainable for less than the present price of _The Times_ alone." If the
mathematician who dug up that fact had said "evening" instead of
"morning" his statement, curiously enough, would still have been right.
Thanks to the reminder from _The Evening News_ that first numbers had
been known to become valuable, fetching from L10 to L100, some 27,000
people put aside nice clean copies of _The Times_ on Monday, in the hope
of selling them at a profit of about 24,000 per cent, in 1964.
The greatest achievement in the annals of journalism was of course _The
Daily Mail_ man's successful attempt to interview the publisher of _The
Times_. How he managed it we cannot think; but we are very, very
grateful to him. We may add that ours is the only journal that has
succeeded in interviewing the intrepid reporter. "How did you contrive
to force your way through the seething mass in Printing House Square,
and pass the closely-guarded portals of the world's chief and largest
newspaper office; and by what means did you persuade the Colossus of
publishing to tell you anything about it?" we asked. We regret that we
cannot give his reply; only the incomparable genius of the painter of
_La Gioconda_ could do that.
A curious incident took place outside the Mansion House on Monday. In
the Agony Column of a famous two-penny newspaper on Saturday the
following announcement had appeared: "Will wate f. u. outsd. Mansn. Hs.
10-11 Mon. morn. Carry cop. _Times_ so I may no its u." A frantic lady
rushed at so many young and middle-aged men, exclaiming, "Horace! at
last we meet!" that long before 10.30 it was necessary for a kindly City
policeman to lead her away to a neighbouring chemist's for first aid.
* * * * *
"The fact that to-day is the 104th anniversary of the birth of
Mr. Gladstone prompts reflection as to the different ways in
which their birthdays have been regarded by some famous
men."--_Westminster Gazette._
_The Writer (as he finishes)_: "Got it in at last, thank Heaven!"
* * * * *
"A number of motor-cars, including one belonging to Mr. Lloyd
George, are blocked in the Snowdon district, and the sheep
farmers are much perturbed."--_Morning Post._
However, they can sleep soundly in their beds now, for he is back in
London again.
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