26 FEBRUARY 1921, Page 13

THE " NEW MODEL " NEWSPAPER.

[To THE EDITOR 01' THE " SPECTATOR."1 SIR, In reference to a sentence in your article on " The New Model " in your issue of February 19th : " It is quite possible that some enterprising man will one day advertise his own paper by admitting no advertisements at all, and by giving his readers all his space," it is perhaps worth while to note that for many years. Mr. A. R. Orage, the distinguished editor of. the New Age, has " admitted no advertisements at all and has given his readers all his space." It is true that the New Age is a weekly paper, but the importance of " securing that unimpeachable. independence which undoubtedly :s esteemed by the public " is as real for the weekly as for the daily journal. And, at present, where is the paper which admits advertisements and does not depend upon them; and, depending on them, does not dread the loss of them or the dread of their loss? So that it seems our newspapers now are in scarcely any cases independent. But the New Age has no fear of this kind : for it has no advertisement; it is independent and its readers are certain that they have the authentic voice of its editor in many of its columns. I should expect this letter to be published in the Spectator if the best traditions of R. IL Hutton's editorship still hold good as they did when I first became one of its constant readers fifty years ago. But the times have changed and the manners of the Spectator have changed with them; and I have no expectation that a letter. which in the first place refers to the New Age, and in the second suggests that the Spectator may be influenced by its 25 per cent. of paying advertisements, will ever be allowed to confront your readers from one of your own printed pages.— I am, Sir, &c., W. G. RUSHBROOKE. St. Olave's, Tower Bridge, S.E.1.