CLOSED DOWN

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 5

CLOSED DOWN

SYDNEY NEWSPAPER

THOUSANDS LOST

(By an ''Evening Post" Representative.) ■'.. ;■■;..;. STDNEf, 17th November. Anothei- sad chapter of Australia's newspaper history' has closed. "The "World," which- started twelve months ago with a great flourish of trumpets on money held in reserve for the pur-pose-by the Australian "Workers' Union, is no more. Thousands have been lost in: the venture—how many thousands few know—and now 300 people have been thrown on the employment, market with little prospect of being absorbed in the near, future. Once again the 'Fleet Street tragedy so ably described /by Sir Philip Gibbs in his "Street of Adventure" comes before newspaper"men as something yery real. "The World" was never a great success from the very start. For one thing it began its life when conditions generally were all against success. The depression" was at its height on the day it was born. Its news services were well ' organised—there was never any complaint ,on that score— but the support it received from advertisers "was meagre in the extreme, sometimes being as low as four columns on an eight-page paper. It is probable that its circulation was never greater than 30,000. Politically it had "backed the wrong horse." Its policy was Labour, but not Lang Labour, and Lang' Labour is the only Labour 'force in New South Wales to-day. It boosted Mr. Scullin and his followers in the Federal Labour Party, and Mr. Scullin is anything but popular among the true-blue Labour men of New South Wales. Mr. Seullin Avas in power when, the "World" first offered itself to the discriminating public, but it tras hot long before he had lost power. Until Monday it appeared as though t new paper, "The Star," would take she place of the "World." A Sydney [syndicate was credited with having iin option over the plant, and had ac"tually decided to bring out a new sheet which was to have been sold at the cut rate of one penny. An editor had been appointed and several members of the staff had been engaged. A wireless campaign was instituted and ran for nearly a week. "The Star" was going to be something different—a paper that everyone would ■sranfcto read. It was being rushed advertisements. Everything in the garden looked rosy. Then, of a sudden, it was announced to the eWorld" staff that there would be no Hopes had been Sashed to the f^tound in an instant. ' The reason behind all this has not ■Seen revealed, but it is evident that there k#s been some deep scheming somewi.'TO, And so it is that once again, the r"'Sun" h&v a monopoly; it is the only afternoon paper. How long it,will be permitted *■» hold the field Undisputed is a matter of; conjecture. Already there is talk of other moves.