A sensation has boon caused among the newspapers by the discovery that the Harmeworths have succeeded or are Tikely to succeed in wresting from Messrs, W. H. Smith and Sena large share of their, monopoly of the railway station bookstalls. The "Times" hag published a strong protest, though without mentioning Messrs. Harmsworth's name. They point out that the service of newspapers at the railway stations is larger than that through the Post Office, and they refer to the: great advantage which publishers have had in getting their papers over all the vast railway system. by dealing with only one firm, and that such a firm as. W. H. Smith and Son. That is unquestionable. Complaiuts of the monopoly have sometimes been made, but it is certainly true, as the " Times" points out. that Messrs. Smith and Son's management of the stalls hus been conducted with regularity, judgment, and impartiality, Whether there should be such a monopoly is, however, a debatable question what is' beyond' all question ig that it would be a lamentable thing if that monopoly were.to fall. into the hands of one particular firm of newspaper publishers. In such circumstances what chance would other newspapers have against the publications of Messrs. Harmsworth? It isone of the most ominous efforts of the octopus millionaire to elbow out all competitors that have yet been seen it this country.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.