Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-01-11
CIRCULATION ESTIMATES.

The object Of the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IL
RECTORY is not very different from that OF the we'll
known mercantile agencies which exist In all leading
cities The latter keep their subscribers informed Of
the character habits reputation business ability and
financial strength of persons with whom they likely
to have business enabling them thereby to
regulate those transactions to secure probably
profitable Dealings or to avoid such as will be likely to
result in ultimate annoyance or loss.
The DIRECTORY conveys the best obtained infOrnla
ton concerning the character and value of newspapers
Its patrons arc the who expend money in advert!s
ing Ga large and important Glass; and 1t is from them
that the publishers of the DIRECTORY In their capaci
t. agents. derive their profit and support
1t is to them and not to newspaper publishers that they
the duty Of faithful service. The theory that ed
vertsing agencies the OF newspapers and
should advance their interests rst 10 annihiated by
the system long adopted by publishers almoct without
exception, Of ignoring any idea Of protecting the So
called agency and maintaining the right to appoint
petitors in the field without the consent Of those
already occupying it.
AS THE MOST IMPORTANT PORTION OF THE INFORM
ALTON SUPPLIED BY A MERCANTILE AGENCY CONSISTS
OF A REPORT OF THE FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF THE
PERSON ABOUT WHOM INFORMATION Is ASKED, so IS
THE CIRCULATION OF NEWSPAPER GENERALLY con-
slDERED THE POINT UPON WHICH INFORMATION WILL
DE OF MOST VALUE TO THE ADVERTISER.
There are, among merchants, some who deny the
right of mercantile agency to inquire into their prr
waite affairs, and who decline giving any Information up
on which report may be based; but the mercantile
agency does not on that account neglect to make re-
port 1t sets from other sources the best Obtainable In
formation, and upon this its estimate is based although
be denied that the rcticcnce of the party in
question is almost always attributed to knowledge up.
on his part that true report would be prejucia to
his credit The report made Is therefore, likely to be
less favorable than might have been had the informa
ton asked for Decn che erfully and frankly given,
So also there arc among newspaper publishers some
WHO deny the right Of any enc to lu;re into their az
fairs 1t has been the policy of the publishers Of the
DIRECTORY to omit all Information about circulation
whenever plainly and uncquivocally commanded to dc
In such the matter disposed of by anncxina
to the report the words obccts to stating circulation
In every where the above command is not plainly
and uncquiyocay conveyed to the publishers Of the D
REC1ORY, they make up their report in same manner
pursued by the mercantile agencies in estimating the
financial strength of merchant and, like the nstitu
lions referred to, they decline to reveal the
from which they have obtained their information.
1t is undoubtedly true that publication OF this
character is privileged and that in instance where
merchant or newspaper is rousy injured by an un
ut materially incorrect report the courts furnish
remedy, and both mercantile agency Directory pub
Usher will lie held responsible for actual damage shown
to injured PARTY from report proved upon
tria! to have been erroneous
This is liability which the publishers of the DIREC
TORY cannot escape; it is therefore which they
hold themselves at all times ready to meet
The greatest possible is taken to make the DI
RECTORY reports orlect. Every publisher is applied
to very Systematically. All Information is taken in
form which excludes any but definite statements which
cannot be misunderstood while every effort is made te
protect honest publishers against such would
to lying perurcd reports to gain fair advantage
1t has rarely been found that of complaint has
arisen against any report which has appeared in either
Of the annual volumes of the Glory already
issued, which has not resulted either from the neglect
Of publisher to respond to appeals for information
effort his part to substitute other and different in
formation instead Of answering the PLAIN questions up
the blanks FURNISHED for the purpose from the ID
RECTORI Office.