Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-05-18

mast IN al cases accompany the order. Other
sctse the popo caenot be sent.
Newspaper Circulation and Adver
Using.
We observe that some OF the newspaper,
OF the country which are In the habit o.
claiming good dc al larger circulation thar
they actually possess are finding fault with
the figures given In some inst ances In Row.
ellis Newspaper Directory for the current
year, recently published, and some OF then,
go so far as TO intimate that this alleged
want Of correctness Is the result of unworthy
motives on the part of the publishers OF that
work. Now we are In no wise called upon
TO defend Mes7rs. Rowell & Co., who are
aoundanfly able TO take care of themselves,
and also, we may add, generally ready and
willing 70 give good reasons for what they
do. II is only just, however, to the adver-
tisers OF the country, who have a right to
know whether they are getting or are likely
TO get what they pay for when they insert
an advertisement in q given newspaper
that Is, the promised publicity for their an
nouncements,-that we should say that there
are the best OF reasons for believing that as
arule the circulation which there gentlemen
set down to the various periodicals Of the
country Is substantially correct, or at least
not usually understated. And 1t will be
found. too, in a majority Of cases. IL not In
every instance, that where such circulation
In not correctly stated the fault lies with
the publishers of the papers themselves
rather than with the ,mpiler OF the Offend
ing Directory. The publishers of the latter
work have their own reputation for honesty
and fair dealing, as well as the interests of
their patrons, at stake in the issue. II they
were actuated by TO higher motive, that of
selfinterest alone would demand that the
information they collect and publish should
be correct and reliable. Without the good
will of both newspaper publishers and adver-
tisers their business would dry up COM
pletely In less than six months time; and
that goo will they cannot have IL they will
fully pervert the truth or allow their preju-
dices to control the conduct Of their BUSH
ness.
Assuming that this much will be conceded
by any fair-minded business man, 1t only
remains to ascertain what means the pub
fishers of the Directory in question have for
leaning the truth In regard to newspaper
Calculations, and to what extent these means
are employed. To begin with, their long and
Intimate connections with and their gen.
eral knowledge OF the publishing business of
the country enable them TO form a pretty
accurate estimate Of the circulation of
nearly every paper, and to tell with an exact.
to the constituencies boosters the difference
between the circulation they claim and
that which they actually possess. But they
do not rely alone on the information OBJ
tanned In the usual course OF business. They
give toevery newspaper the privilege OF tell
ing its OWE story. They send annually to
the publisher Of every periodical In the
country blank form upon which each one
IL invited to make for himself his own
showing as to the circulation OF his paper
for publication In the Directory, the ONLY
condition OF such exhibit being that where
the figures so given are doubted they will
be verified by the afnd1vit of the publisher
sending them, and also fortified, where re-
quired, by the production of corrobora
tive evidence establishing the truth of the
af1davtt- And 1t IS just here that the Jour
nalistic shoe pinches. Many publishers
who are swift to claim fabulous figures for
the circulation of their mushroom sheets are
slow TO swear to them when called upon to
do so, although few are found who are
ready to make the reluirs1 AFFIDAVIT, even
though they are unable afterward to furnish
the necessary supplemental proof. Every
Newspaper In the country is requested to
supply its own figures, and these figures are
published In the Directory as given, unless
f:s compilers have reasons for believing, "a
they very often have, thai they are not cor.
rect; but even In such cases the newspaper
publisher has the remedy In his own hands IL
he chooses to avail himself OF it, and can do
so without committing perjury, or Ia not
AFRAID OF being found out In case he commits
IL. IL follows, therefore, that wherever q
newspaper complains that its circulation is
understated Its publisher has either failed to
Furnish the Information asked for or has
been unable TO substantiate his windy state
ment when called upon to do so. That Is all
there Is Of IL; and mean insinuations as to
unworthy motives on the part OF the pub
fishers of the Directory will not alter the
facts, nor be likely to mislead the public in
the premises.
PROFESSIONALLY Nessrs. RovelI & Co. have
q righ. TO publish Newspaper Directory of
the country IL they choose to do so. 1t Is
alike their duty and their interest, as IL
should be their ambition, TO make 1t as COM
plete and correct In every particular as IL Is
possible TO make II; and, so far as we can
judge, they take every practicable step to
this end. Where newspaper objects to
stating Its circulation at all, that fact is
stated In the Directory; where one furnishes
its own figures and is willing to sub5tantiate
them, II required, they are used In IL; where
one furnishes figures that are manifestly
false or does not furnish any at all, the COM
piler relies upon such other means as he may
have for getting at the truth of the matter,
and makes his publication accordingly. To
this course no fair-dealing newspaper, no
one that Ii willing 10 give dollars worth
for every dollar IL receives, Is likely - OBJ.
ject. IL will be found, on the other hand,
That those who set ND howl about 1t are
generally those that obtain a pre:arious
existence by uniting q sort OF unindictable
black mailing business to the practice of
obtaining money under false pretences,-
that Is, by getting advertising patronage on
a claim OF circulation which they do not
possess, and which, In the very nature OF