Boettiger Break-Up

The Arizona Times, started as a daily nine months ago by John and Anna Roosevelt Boettiger, had come a long way. Phoenix' New-Dealing baby, with a circulation of 31,000, was right behind the conservative Gazette, biggest evening paper in the state. But last week the new baby lost one of its parents: John Boettiger resigned as editor and publisher. Mrs. Boettiger took over "full control."

Did it mean that their nine-year publishing partnership was breaking up? Apparently it did. Said Mrs. Boettiger: "John is quitting because he wants to go to Europe and write. I felt I was better suited to this."

Times staffers had expected the change. In the last few months, while Boettiger has been away "on business," Mrs. Boettiger has practically taken over the job of running the paper. The Times has taken a good deal of running. Despite its fast growth, it is not yet making money, and two months ago it borrowed $200,000 from a bank, to get "an extra margin" of capital. "If we don't meet the payments," said Mrs. Boettiger, "we lose the plant and the newspaper." She doesn't expect to lose. She has put her big, rambling suburban house up for sale and plans to move into a smaller one. At week's end, old Tribune Reporter Boettiger was back in his old Chicago haunts, seeing about a new job. He was mum about his plans because "my situation hasn't jelled yet."

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