EXIT THE "STANDARD"

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2772, 16 May 1916, Page 6

EXIT THE "STANDARD"

fc END OF HISTORIC ENTERPRIS2. Pleet Street has said farewell to the "Morning Standard" (writes the London correspondent of the Melbourne "ArgusO. It has had a romantic career. No London paper has been controlled by more remarkable men. Stanley Lees Uiffard, father of Lord Halsbury; was its first editor. Dr. Maginn, founder of "L'raser'a Magazine," and the most brilliant Irish journalist ever'seen in London, was Giffard's right-hand assistant. Maginn was drawn by Thackeray as Captain Shandon in "Pendonnis," and he wrote many of his contributions to the "Standard" from the very room in Pleet Prison where Thackeray described Shandon as penning the prospectus of the original fictitious "Pall Mall Gazette." It is said of Maginn that ho would write an article one day in the "Standard," answer it on the morrow in, "True Sun," and abuse both in "John Bull" on the following Sunflay. In 1557 the "Standard" was in the toils of the Bankruptcy Court. Mr. James Johnstone, an accountant, purchased it for a small sum, arid made Mr. William Mudford, a gallery reporter, its editor. Under Mr. Mudford the paper became the most powerful organ in the Conservative interest, with free-trade sympothies. It was also a great financial success. It was considered a bad year if the profits were below .£60,000, yet no English journal paid its contributors so generously as Mr. Mudford. Soon after that gentleman's retirement the "Standard" was purchased by Mr. Arthur Pearson, who made it the chief organ of the tariff reformers. The capital of Mr. Pearson's company was overwhelming. Mr. Pearson's health completely broke down, and the concern passed for a'time into the control of Mr. Davidson Dalziel, who quite recently withdrew from the enterprise, retaining a hold /upon the "Evening Standard" only. The "Stanford" has filled a worthy front place in the ranks of journalism. The expense of publishing a daily journal in war time, and the increased cost of paper, have been contributing causes to the passing of the "Standard." Other newspaper casualties in the war have been the "Manchester Courier," once a great Conservative newspaper, which was floated into a company not many years ago for over .£300,000; also the "Daily Citizen," a newspaper run at great cost in the interest of trade unionists; and the "Echo," which died after a few weeks of brilliant promise through the difficulties of labour demands. The enormous bnrden of producing a daily journal may be understood by the lninttiatcd when I mention that the cost of paper, ink, and labour alone is 60 per cent, above pie-wai- prices.