The "Kept" Press

That the big metropolitan papers are "kept" by department stores (who advertise) and that the big metropolitan papers are afraid to print the truth about the people who own these department stores is the not infrequent charge of Mr. Upton Sinclair and his kind.

A fortnight ago young John Wanamaker II, son of Rodman Wanamaker (President of the New York and Philadelphia Wanamaker stores) was sentenced to six months in a French prison--charged with having signed spurious checks at Deauville.

The New York World, Herald, Tribune, American ran the story on Page 1; The News, on Page 2; The Times., on Page 3; The Call, not at all.

The New York American, warring upon City Comptroller Charles L. Craig (foe to Mayor Hylan), prints each day a short editorial headed: "The Calendar of a Man Who Failed." The editorial discusses Mr. Craig passionately. And invariably the last two sentences are: "Number of days in office--1,881 (or whatever the figure happens to be). Number of days in office without doing anything--1,881."