Sod the reader?
Sir: Kingsley Amis's splendid catalogue of manifestations of 'Sod the public' (19 October) is one to which we all could add. I cannot help wondering if even you, Sir, sometimes exhibit a tendency to 'sod the reader'.
For example, on Friday (rarely) or Saturday (usually) or Monday (sometimes) the Spectator arrives through my letter-box in a well-nigh impenetrable polluting plas- tic container. As Kingsley Amis says, no doubt convenient for the packager, but to us poor readers it presents a problem demanding either the use of brute force with the risk of damage to the contents or a time-consuming and delicate . operation with knife or scissors. How much more civilised was the old easily-removed bio- degradable paper wrapper.
Secondly, the right-hand margins of your left-hand pages are so narrow, that when folding back the magazine, it is difficult to avoid losing the last few letters of each line. But it is no doubt convenient to be able to cram the maximum number of words on to each page. Thirdly, I discern an increase in the amount of material devoted to the personal and often petty problems and squabbles of contributors. The letters page takes the lead (and this letter may be an example!) but is by no means alone in this. It all becomes rather a bore and seems to be more for the benefit of contributors than readers.
Fourthly . . . but enough of my prob- lems. One of your distinguished predeces- sors, Sir Richard Steele, wrote in his issue 200 in 1714, 'The noblest motive is the public good.' I am sure, Sir, that you will agree.
W. C. Woodruff
25 Chichester Avenue, Ruislip, Middlesex
Previous page
