Connecticut western news., 1877-01-19
CIRCULATION ESTIMATES.

fishers Of the DIRECTORY, in their capacity of advertising agents, derive their profit and sup port. It IS to them and not to newspaper pub- fishers that they owe the duty of faithful service The theory that advertising agencies are the servants of newspapers and should advance thelr interests first is annihilated by the system long adopted by publishers, almost without ex- oeption, of ignoring any idea of protecting the so-called agency and maintaining the right to appoint competitors in the same field without the consent of those already occupying it.
 AS THE MOST IMPORTANT PORTION OF THE IN- FORMATION SUPPLIED BY MERCANTILE AGENCY CONSISTS OF REPORT THE FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF THE PERSON ABOUT WHOM INFoRMA- TON IS ASKED, so IS THE CIRCULATION OF A NEWS PAPER GENERALLY CONSIDERED THE POINT UPON WHICH INFORMATION WILL BE OF MOST VALUE TO THE ADVERTISER.
 There are, among merchants, some who deny the right of mercantile agency to inquire into their private affairs, and who decline giving any information upon which report may be based ; but the mercantile agency does not, on that ac- count, neglect to make report. It gets from other sources the best obtainable information and upon this its estimate is based, although it cannot be denied that the retcence of the party in question is almost always attributed to knowl- edge upon his part that true report would be prejudicial to his credit. The report made is therefore, likely to be less favorable than it might have been had the information asked for been cheerfully and frankly furnished.
 So also there are among newspaper publishers
 
 into their affairs. It has been the policy of the publishers of the DIRECTORY to omit all in- formation about circulation whenever plainly and unequlvocally commanded to do so, In such cases the matter is disposed of by annex ing to the report the words " objects to statino circulation" In every case where the above command is not plainly and unequivocally con- veyed to the publishers of the DIRECTORY. they make up their report in same manner pur- sued by the mercantile agencies in estimating nnAnclAl StrpnOth a ronr0 0ho1,f aud H.. the institutions referred to, they decline to reveal the sources from which they have obtain ed their information.
 It is undoubtedly true that no publication of thls character IS privileged, and that in an iu- stance where a merchant or a newspaper is seriously injured by unjust or materially in- correct report the courts furnish remedy and both mercantile agency or Directory publisher will be held responsible for actual damage shown to accrue to an injured party from a report proved upon trial to have been erroneous. 70. This is a liability which the publishers of the DIRECTORY cannot escape it is therefore one which they hold themselves at all times ready to meet
 the DIRECTORY reports correct Every pub fisher 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 to protect honest publishers against such as would resort to lying or perjured reports to gain an unfair advantage.
 It has rarely been found that cause of com plalnt has arisen against any report which has appeared, in either of the seven annual volumes Of the Directory already issued, which has not resulted either from the neglect of publisher to respond to appeals for information or an effort on his part to substitute other and differ ent information instead of answering the plain questions upon the blanks furnished for the purpose from the DIRECTORY of1ice
 
 Publishers of newspapers who desire to furnish the Directory with statement of circulation are supplied with blank which takes for granted the following conclusions
 Every publisher is either willing or unwilling to have his circulation published in the Direc- tory.
 If any publisher is unwilling to have his cir culation published, the publishers of the Direc- tory owe it to their patrons to state why the information is withheld. This they do by insert ing the worlds Objects to stating circulation
 THIRD.
 If willing to have his true circulation given, a publisher will desire that none but true crcula- tons shall be published for competing journals, That none but true circulations may be pub hshed, 1t Is necessary that none but explicit state1nents be accepted from any.
 FIFTH.
 A statement intended to convey explicit infor- nation must be so worded as to prevent the possibility of it's meaning being msconstrued
 SIXTH.
 That none but true and explicit statements may be accepted from others, every publisher will see the necessity of giving his own in reg ular form, if at all. If one is allowed to vary the form little, another may vary it more. If none vary it, all will be fairly treated.
 SEVENTH.
 The blank is entirely unobiectionable to those who DESIRE to furnish full and explicit informa- ton.
 EIGHTH.
 From persons who are not willing to furnish an EXPLICIT statement, any other would be worse than useless
 Topersons who decline making any statement, the form adopted is as unobjectionable as any other.
 TENTH.
 If publisher makes no statement of circula- ton it is fair to presume that it is from indifer- ence or neglect, neither of which on his part will excuse the publishers of the Directory for inperfectons in their book. For all such cases the editor of the Directory has instructions to estimate the circulation from the best informa- tion open to him.
 The Directory estimates the circulation of no newspaper until after an application has been made to its publisher for the actual figures, and sufficient time allowed to elapse for the state ment to come to hand had any such been for warded.
 It is believed that no publisher of newspaper expresses dissatisfaction with the circulation ac- corded his journal in the AMERICAN NEWS PAPER DIRECTORY who does not desire to impress the public that his edition is greater than it is in reality.
 The reason given by several publishers for not furnishing an authoritative statement of their circulation for publication in the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER DIRECTORY is that many ad- vertisers believe the circulation to be greater than it really is, and that this is an advantage to the publisher which would be lost if actual facts should be made known.
 An unusual number of publishers of the lead ing daily papers are this year furnishing the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER DIRECTORY with the actual figures of their circulation.
 In addition to the above information, the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER DIRECTORY for 1876 contains classified lists as follows:
 PERIODICALS PUBLISHING OVER 5 GOO PAPERS AND PERIODICALS NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS DEVOTED TO AGRI- CULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND STOCK RAISING; MEDICINE AND SURGERY ED 10 EDUCATIONAL MATTERS MATTE Rs DIIHIS AMusE. MENT AND INSTRUCTION OF CHILDREN FREE MASONRY, ODD FELLOWSHIP, ITEM PERANCE AND KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS; COMMERCE AND FINANCE, INSURANCE, REAL ESTATE, SCIENCE AND MECHANICS, LAW, PRINTERS AND PUBLISHERS, SPORT ING, MUSIC, FASHIONS AND WOMANS ALSO, NEWSPAPERS AND PE- RIODICALS PRINTED WHOLLY OR IN PART IN THE GERMAN, FRENCH, SCANDINA- WAN, SPANISH, HOLLANDISH, ITALIAN, WELSH, BOHEMIAN, PORTUGUESE, PO- LISH AND HEBREW LANGUAGES One Thousand Pages---Price, S5.
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