New-York tribune., 1868-03-31
OFFICIAL ADVERTISING.

islature to regulate the legal advertising OF tht
various courts, and we presume Of all the cor
porate bodies of this city. The bill provides
in substance, that the Judges of the several
| Courts of Record shall hold a convention, and
BY ballot select some newspaper which shall
in virtue of that selection become the official or
gan that all notices required by law shall be
published in such journal, and (at public charged
| nowhere else. Without undertaking to un-
cover the cat hidden under this meal
| (Which, by the way, is the same cat tha'
| burrowed in much the same manner in bill
which failed in last years Legslature)-we
may improve the occasion to offer few sugges-
tions concerning official advertising. ' T'
1. Tho State should pay for its advertising
the rates current at the place and time OF de-
mand. Notices important to particular parties
and to the people at large are refused by lead
ing Journals because the rate Of compensation
will not much more than cover the cost OF type
setting. Who shall complain of publisher
for refusing to give up for five cents line the
space that leading business men would gladly
buy at a dollar a linei This beggarly policy
necessarily drives the law notices into obscure
and worthless places, where nobody Is served,
and where the publication is merely technical
neither plaintiff nor defendant seeing the
notices until they are sent in as vouchers for
pay.
O. The State should distribute its advertis-
ing so as to reach the greatest number of peO-
pie. To reach the people the notices should
be in journals of the widest circulation-as.
for instance, THE TRIBUNE, that now reaches
not only nearly every dwelling in New-York
City, but every city, town, and hamlet in the
Union--a journal now read by not less than
million men and women every week. In this
paper brief advertisement, say at $40, reaches
this immense constituency-is brought by the
mail 10 their very doors; thrust-sO to speak
under their noses-and all at the rate of the
thousandth part of ono cent for each reader.
Suppose, now, you undertake to reach these
readers by handbill or circular. You must
print 1000 O0O0, at q cost OF say ten for cent
81 900; then you get million Of envelopes
and million of two-eent stamps, which will
cost about $1,000 for the envelopes and $4,000
for the stamps-in all, $4,000; mailing and
80 ON would bring this up to about $4,000.
The same result Is attainabe through The
TRIBUNE for less than the tioo-thousdndh part
Of this sum for $40 you get all the publicity
that your $4,000 would scarcely secure, as
above explained.
3. While 1t may be useful to designate O.
single paper In which certain regularly recur-
ring notices shall be published. it Is manifestly
wrong for Courts to compel suitors to adyer-
tise IN any particular journal. Newspapers cir
culate TO o great extent among classes. Par
tisan, social, or religious opinions have their
influence. few leading journals have broken
down these barriers, aud, by the Irresistible
recommendation Of being great newspapers,
are everywhere accepted voices that must
DO beard, and will be heard. Is it not manifest
ly the duty Of the Government to use such
Journals In communicating with the peoplef
So much, we presume, will be conceded. Then
(hgving selected its one official Organ') the
State should give the largest margin and rea-
sonable pay for publication in other Journals
seen and read by the people. Suppose, for In
stance, that notice Of summons Is to be served
by public advertisement upon defendant in
Oregon shall We print it In an obscure corner
Of The Skowhegan Clarion. "away down-east in
a. the State of Manner
L. We insist upon the most scrupulous econ
Omy in the management OF public business,
and surely make no exception in this matter OF
advertising. In fact, if We have any exception
this Is it. Tho State expends much money for
printing, much for advertising. That would be
well II judiciously managed. In government
of light and knowledge, light and knowledge
should DO advanced The widest means of
reaching the people should be used the quick
est and most effectusl roads should be taken
to bring to every mans door the leading facts
of legislation and Jurisprudence affecting the
State and the people The newspapers have
done this of their own free will. charging them
selves with enormous outlays, and neither seek
ing nor desiring anything in return. But while
no respectable journal will seek State patron
age that, at the best, Is not half as remunera-
tive as the five-line notices Of servant girls in
search Of places, every Journal of standing and
circulation must protest, on behalf OK the peo-
pie, against any scheme intended for the
personal benefit of obscure prints, OF journals
never seen beyond the bail-limits Of their
printing houses.
0. Finally, lot tho State and tho Courts fol-
low the example Of the shrewd business man
Of the day-adyertise hberslly, but always
where the notices will be seen seek the great
avenues OF communication with the people
come up by railroad and telegraph
-
And now the defendant comes and says: l.