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Show YK EDITOR'S SUBSCRIPTION Tho Clinton, Iowa, Mirror predicts a nearly change in the government hi dictum that newspaper subscriptions subscrip-tions must bo paid In advance. Wo havo some doubts about tho prediction predic-tion coming truo, but wo know It ought to xorae truo. Whether a newspaper publisher shall collect In advance, nt tho end of the, term of subscription or nt tho convenience of his sub'scrlber, is purely a matter of personal (and private business which docs not concorn tho government govern-ment In tho least. Tho t purposo ot ofllclaldom at Washington Is to savo paper by cutting cut-ting off the subscriptions of those people who do not find it convenient conven-ient to pay In advance. Undoubtedly Undoubted-ly tl publishers lose some money because of operating on a credit basis. bas-is. That Is also true ot grocers who sell sugar on credit and merchants whoSsell clothing on credit. The government ft trying to conservo su-fear su-fear and clothing. Why not make nn order that grocery bills and clothing cloth-ing bills shall bo paid In advance? In a very large portion of tho country, particularly In the grain raising sections, It is tho irt-actico of the farmers to pay a great rmany' ot their bills "after harvest." Some ot their expenses aro paid from month to month, or paid in cash, but there aro many accounts which, aro settled set-tled at tho end of tho year. In tho 'grain growing sections the doctoiV collect most of their accounts with rarmers after tho .farmer has sola Tils wheat. Merchants in fanning communities collect tho bulk ot their accounts at that timo. It may not bo tho best way to Jo business, but it has become a custom, and it has not been found disastrous. A newspaper news-paper subscription is something that Is paid only once a year. It is a small amount and could be paid any -timo by almots any subscriber." Itv would undoubtedly be better for,the editors if they always got their money mon-ey in advance but whether they shall or not should be entirely a'qucstlon between them and their customers. S |