This internal spirit of a paper is often perfectly reflected by its external appearance. The business habits of a periodical in conducting its own affairs are something of an index to its personality . If it is prompt and efficient, the statements made in regard to its business policy in dicate at least its business ideals, while if it is slack or negligent in its business management this is often betrayed by the announce ments of its policy .
These business habits concern the publication of its office hours
and information as to the means of communication with it at these or at other times either by local or long-distance telephone, information as to the precise hour of publication and the hour
when the paper will be on sale in other cities, the time when communications should reach the office to insure insertion , and
the hour of morning delivery . It publishes its subscription rates, and often states that sub
scriptions must invariably be paid in advance ; it gives warning that names are not entered until payment has been received ; it gives a receipt for subscription through a printed label; it dis continues the paper if the subscription is not renewed ; and cau tions its subscribers that it is not responsible for advance pay
ments made to out-of-town local carriers, dealers, or agents; it states that extra copies needed must be ordered in advance, and
it usually expresses a willingness to change the address of sub scribers as often as desired ; more lax business methods are indi cated in the statement not infrequently found, “ Our terms are
$ 1.00 a year if paid in advance ; otherwise $ 1.50." The newspaper is often equally firm in stating its intention to secure the prompt delivery of papers to its subscribers and it promises to give immediate attention to all complaints made of carriers, though stating at the same time that carriers are not allowed to receive complaints or notices to stop subscriptions. It asks for information from its readers if the paper can not be
bought at news stands or on railway trains, announces the hours
for the closing of themails that carry the paper to near-by towns, gives rates of postage for its issues having a varying number of pages, warns its readers that “ the laws of the postal department are strict and newspapers insufficiently prepaid can not be
