SUBLIME CONSERVATISM

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1931, Page 2

SUBLIME CONSERVATISM

CHINESE EDITORS’ PAY. MODERN METHOD SCORNED. The almost unbelievably strong hold which conservatism has upon the Chinese people has recently been illustrated, at Shanghai by a grand row which the “Commercial Press” has had with its corps of more than three hundred editors and special writers. For a time closing down the great publishing house seemed probable, and dire events were avoided only by calling in the city government of Greater Shanghai to act as mediator. The “Commercial Press” is China’s outstanding success in the publishing field. It is owned aud operated by Chinese, employs more than 7009 persons, and publishes a formidable list of Chinese classics, translations of foreign books, Chinese text books and new Chinese fiction and philosophy every year. Last year, in March, the Commercial Press started its new managing director, Y. W. Wang, on a trip around the world to investigate the methods of the great publishing firms in the United States and Europe. Mr. Wang was away for more than half a year, and is now trying to put new methods into effect. . Late in January he called his largo corps of editors together, told them how much the company appreciated their work, and said that since many of them turned out much more work than was really called for l>y their iialaries the company had worked out a scheme for extra pay for extra work' to lie- given to those editors who wished to continue extra work. Their nuluries rminiini'd unchanged the new selK'ino was merely to ri'ward imiiemil diligem-e. Then the troulile. tiep lul , Tim editors w«ml<l not eoiinl eiiamui l,lm imw schciim. They ilinoumi‘i the e>liu pay plan, null l.ln-y dmioom-' <1 Mr. Wang for liiiving rm;/;.o-;l.<<l il. Tim.’/ Imld niectiligs, limy li.'ixf ;.'< t to l -'ether loimlmmm, rind lish-m'd to outpouriiii.'i) ol wialli. As inli'lligclil-l-.m, the'/ raid, Hmy Isol been hmulti'd. The. ‘‘liop'ill;/ ,'oeeil of treillillg ~|ip,jl..| im.'ii like iiHiinion contract lm l.dmrnm.Th<; mu nnni, nl. Ural, r.l.nnrwd to iioi'Lmii, liimlly wiibiliow Dm objectionable nil'll, /in'l im'» Ihr cd i I ora are working al. their old siiliiiicn, content with having Riilvng'd tlm'n iliguily an scholars, but, l.lmii’ i» c.lill giumhliiig against the inaimcT in which they were “insulted” by the offer of extra money for extra work.