Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-03-24
GEO. p. RoWELL q CO.'S
SPECIAL CONTRACTS.
Onght Newspaper I'nb'iShcrs 60
Accepts Them:

tAs firm in securing advertising patronage
fsr the local newspapers Of the country up
or the peculiar and original plan adopted
by them, has naturally evoked discussion
upon the merits Of aud objection 70 'heif
system Of transasting business.
The rapid s,rides which have bee" n'.os
and are being put forth render ~ not ''n
n,oh.slo that in . comparatively short time
Al .,t,mp. will be made to 90 extend Their
we OF contract ~ 10 monopolize the whole
OF .ha. species Of business dsnomina'ed bJ
Publishers "foreign adrertising;" That 10
Advertising coming to Newspaper from
b.vond its Immediate neighborhood.
Taking this view, il becomes matter Of
great importance 10 publishers. Aud the
question whether such an end will or will
10. work the.s own advantage becomes one
f,r careful consideration and discussion.
Taa, tao publishers realize the import
snoe OF The subject 10 abundantly testified
by tho tins and consideration devoted 70 II
Ia Tie ysr:ou. editorial conventions holden
dasins the year jast passed.
TIE question which frat presents itseii
% tie proprietor Of . newspaper, which IS
expected TO be productive Of livelihood
and profit to it's proprietor, 10: How much
money shall l realize from that portion oil
INV columns which can be devoted 70 ad.
vcrti.cmentst anu . scale Of prices Is
adopted sufficiently high TO realize his e1-
pec,a.ions. provided the required number Of
customers cat be found to occupy that
space a, the figures fixed upon.
II the questions Of demand and supply
we're SO evenly adjusted - TO be calculated
10 nicely, all would 90 on we'll but I'M
fortunately this Ia not the case. Dull timer,
competition, and numerous causes conspirs
20 render il difficult, even impossible TO q.
all times fill tho advertising columns pub
lished rates; and Is tho Newspaper must
be issued regularly, and tho expenses there
Of must DO paid. Il 10 tho custom IN all Of
fees (the exceptions are so few that they
only prove tho ruls) 10 make advantageous
propositions to those parties who viii con-
tract for . considerable space for long
time, thereby relieving tho publisher o. re-
sp,n,ibility and trouble, while he 10 assured
OF som-thing from space which might 9th
orwise remain entirely unproductive.
To the extensive advertiser o! threwd-
ness and experience tho above facts become
known, and as his business Is general, 1t IA
evident he will he most benefited by in.
ves,mcnts In those publications which give
most circulation Tor the amount Of money
demanded. The field Is large-he has great
opportunity for choice. and becomes seek
or after Bargains. 1t is nn established fact
thai business cannot be obtained from the
grsa. advertiser Save a, greatly reduced
6su-ss.
Every publisher is aware Of this above,
white he deplosss, admits, hoping for the
day when tho demand upon his columns
will become such ;hat he may obtain his
schedule rates, while, n tho same ms, new
publ atoms, hungry TO- patronage, are
sprirging NJ about him increasing compc-
i,,lon and placing the Gay far distant when
lie can hope for any material improvement
IN his prospects.
While Advertising is commodity, which,
like any thing else Is worth . price. adver-
Using SPACE in = newspaper is a perishable
commodity aud if not used can be source
of no prof, to the owner thereof. So, while
ovcry publisher is aware that the moment
he accepts decreased price. be Injuries his
prospects for ever again getting regular
terms from that customer; jet knowing II
the oti,r is not accepted the space must be
filed with matter WHICH will pay moth
ing, the temptation becomes too great 10 be
WI hstood. nc yields the point and the ad-
vsttiser goes away secure IN his conviction
that he cln mako his own terms with that
paper henceiorth.
Aware Of all this, the firm above referred
to conceived the idea that by establishing
Their system Of buying up space here and
there at tho prices which were received for
large stcrcotyped advertisement they could
Gil II with shorter and moro attractive bus
iness cards and announcements, which,
whilc being more valuable TO tho newspaper
could also pay price sufficiently advanced
70 cover tho cost Of frequent changes, and
d the same time afford remuneration for
any risk or responsibility taken. In this
way thsy hoped, BY the lowne - Of the rates
they would DO enabled to offer, 10 induce
many ADVERTISERS u try the new 6elds-
many VITO had never advertised at ali, to
try the experiment, and even 10 combA,
successfully the popular prejudice that the
great city papers with tens Of Thousands
weekly circulation, were the only ones
worth patronising st all.
They succeeded beyond their sxpsctati ons
and without giving any nswapaper cause to
complain that prices arc not sustained, for
IN advertisement 10 never taken upon this
plan. except Tor large number, thereby
giving tho advertiser no opportunity Of
knowing how much be rays any individual
newspaper, busssnly showing that for the
whole the price 10 low. Those publishers
who have had IN opportunity TO observe
The advertisements furnished by this 6rm
during the three years their system has been
in speasion. must have noted the very largs
proportion Of advertisers whose cards were
never before seen In = local newsp&per, or
even in any paper At al, and " are inform
81 by several who have had these contracts
longest, that during oil the time among the
hundreds Of advertisements furnished. no
more than one or two. in some eases, none
at al had ever been received, which the
publisher could have hoped 10 obtain in any
other way.
We have taken much interest in the dis
eussion Of the various views held upon this
matter, and have interchangcd ideas With
oil classes Of interested persons.
Something more than year ago. We were
covering upon the subject with a gentle
man at Chicago who, more than any other,
is interested in the suhjsot Of adysrtis