Page:The Newspaper World.djvu/93

 82 The Newspaper World, some important occurrence reaches the office from one liner only, there is an absolute certainty that it will be used by every paper to which it is sent, much to the joy of the fortunate reporter who has become possessed of this " exclusive '' information. Should the subject demand further treatment on succeeding days, he feels tolerably certain that his reports will be used in preference to those of other liners. A piece of luck such as this, in these days of competition, rarely, however, falls to the lot of the industrious scribe. A good deal could be said both in favor of and against the lineage system. Newspapers, however large their staffs, would be liable to miss many items of news for which they are now indebted to the enterprise of the liner, and obtain moreover at a reasonably cheap rate. Th^ best of the London newspapers pay, it may be remarked in passing, more than the traditional penny per line, and there is usually what is known as a " minimum " — ^that is to say, if only three or four lines of news are sent or used, the liner is allowed a certain sum for his trouble, instead of the altogether inadequate amount which the item would realize if calculated by the line. Longer items are, of course, charged for on the lineage scale. Payment by results stimulates enterprise, but it also opens the door to some abuses of the lineage system. No liner who is a skilled hand at his business will send prolix reports to a newspaper office. It may be taken as a general rule that there is always more news available than space can be found for, and when an event of no great importance is described at great length, it is very probable that it may be passed over altogether, while a short, terse des- cription would have been readily accepted and paid for. Yet some liners every day commit this fatal error, under the delusion, apparently, that the sub-editor may be found napping and will pass on to the printers a half-column