Spot Cash.

The Editor of the Flesherton Advance proposes adopting the strictly cash in advance system in regard to news paper subscriptions, similar to city papers. If this could be successfully enforced, one of the greatest hardships and annoyances of the country publisher would be removed. A newspaper subscription is so trifling in itself, and when scattered generally over the area of twenty miles in diameter, besides occasional ones all over the continent, it can easily be seen how difficult it becomes to make satisfactory collections. There are always those who pay prompt, and generally this class is in the majority, yet, even twenty five per cent are delinquent, while the half of that number are doubtful as to ever paying, it makes the list at once unsatisfactory. We can see no valid reason however why the strict cash system cannot be introduced and enforced. Our prompt paying subscribers would require to assist in the undertaking, (what we mean by prompt paying subscribers are those who renew say within a month of the date when their sub. expired, as well as those renewing generally before it had expired) because if such a course was decided on by a publisher all names whether first class or doubtful would be struck off the list at a given time, say two weeks after the subscription had expired in not renewed. This would doubtless have the effect of decreasing the list of subscribers, at least for a time, but we are inclined to think the loss would not equal the gain, first, from supplying papers from year to year to many who do not pay, and also of securing the amount in all cases in advance from those who pay when in arrears. For our own part we have not fully decided our future course, but in case we adopt the "Cash in Advance" system for the year 1887, we will give due notice so that all can govern themselves accordingly; in the mean time we would like to hear from our patrons as well as our exchanges on the matter.