Cheap subs. for unsold copies

From a letter to the Institute.

Periodicals should offer 'scavenger subscriptions', which would run for a fixed number of issues (eg, 12 or 52) at onethird or onequarter of the cover price. Scavenger Subscribers would be sent the unsold copies returned by news agents, which would otherwise be pulped, if and when such copies became available. Ie, soldout issues wouldn't be sent to anyone; scarce issues would be sent only to some; and other issues would be sent out weeks, months, or even years late; they might be shop-worn too. These factors would eliminate most potential switchovers by regular subscribers, but retain many marginal readers who'd otherwise let their subscriptions lapse.

This innovation would conserve paper while spreading information & ideas more widely, especially among the impecuniousbutinterested - the Deserving Poor, in other words.

Roger Knights, 5446 45 Av SW, Seattle, WA 98136-1108, USA (tel 0101 206 932 5446; fax 0101 206 932 9324).