The Ledger suffered by competition from an ascendant "The Evening Bulletin", which under publisher William L. McLean grew in size from 12 pages in 1900 to 28 pages in 1920, and from circulation of 6,000 to a leadership position of over 500,000 readers in the same time. The "Bulletin's" bolder and more commercial approach attracted additional advertising, which in turn drew more readers. Advertising, which comprised only 1/3 of the "Bulletin" in 1900, grew to nearly 3/4 of its pages in 1920. At the same time, the circulation at the "Ledger" stagnated.