Democracy at Work

It was a noble if curious experiment in publishing. The bosses of the new magazine '47 were the 363 writers, artists and photographers who owned and contributed to it. The editor and publisher was the man who thought up the idea, 39-year-old Jerome Ellison (TIME, July 1). Last week, after three issues, he was out. His stockholder-contributors didn't like what he did with their stuff.

"What we were putting out," said one '47 executive, "was not daring or new. It was more like '27 than '47." And its circulation (around 350,000) was still 100,000 shy of the break-even point that Ellison had aimed at.

Who would boss the bosses next? An "executive editorial board" will try, with six $1-a-month members (John Hersey, Clifton Fadiman, Annalee Jacoby, J. D. Ratcliff, Gjon Mili, George Biddle). Over them will be a paid editor named Lawrence Lee, promoted from '47's literary editor. In theory, he can veto the board's decisions.

Said Walter Ross, appointed '4/3 new publisher: "We will have a definite editorial line to which our writers will hew." But getting all 363 to hew to the line would be the neatest trick of '47 or any other year.

Said ex-Editor Ellison: "As a contributor-owner I'm solidly behind the new set-up."

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