The Press: Who Won?

New York's newspaper deliverers' strike was over at last. Both sides claimed a victory. The publishers won their demand that wages-&-hours questions be determined by WLB; on other points the strikers got something that looked like a promise of forced arbitration (they might ask for it, WLB said). As for the public, they got their newspapers again, thick with ads and heavy with lyday news synopses.

The newspapers cashed in on the rationed paper they had saved up during the strike. For three days they printed from two to 28 more pages of advertising than they had in the last three days before the strike. The same paper sold as circulation would have brought a fraction of the revenue.

The Journal American for three days added two pages of comics to bring people up to date on Blondie and Dagwood. The Daily News printed its missing comics and installments of its serial story in booklets, sold them over the counter and by mail. The Times ran coupons entitling readers to book review and magazine sections they had missed.