Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-18

The object of the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER d.
RECTORY is not very different from that of the we'll
cities The latter keep their Subscribers informed Of
the character habits reputation business ability and
financial strength of persons with whom they are
likely to have business transactions, enabling them
thereby to so regulate those transactions to
probably profitable dealings, avoid such as will
be likely to result in ultimate annoyance or loss.
The DIRECTORY conveys the best obtainable in
formation concerning the character and value of
newspapers. Its patrons are the men who expend
and It'll from them that the publishers of the Df,
RECTORY, in their capacity of advertising agents,
to newspaper publishers that they owe the duty
Of faithful service The theory that advertising agen
cleS are the servants of newspapers and should ad
vance their interests first is annihilated by the sys
ceRtl9n or ignoring any idea of protecting the So
Called agency and of maintaining the right TO appoint
those already occupying it,
AS THE MOST IMPORTANT PORTION OF THE INFoR-
sIsTs OF REPORT OF THE FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF
THE PERSON ABOUT WHOM INFORMATION is ASKED,
so Is THE CIRCULATION OF A NEWSPAPER GENERAL
LY CONSIDERED THE POINT UPON WHICH INFoRMA-
TION WILL BE OF MOST VALUE TO THE ADVERTISER.
There are, among merchants, some who deny the
right OF mercantile agency to inquire into their pr
vate affairs, and Who decline giving any information
upon which report may be based; but the mercan-
tile agency does not on that account neglect TO make
Bile information and upon this its estimate is based
although it cannot be denied that the reticence the
knowledge upon his part that true report would be
fore likely to be less favorable than it would have
been had the information asked for been cheerfuly
ana frankly furnished.
SO also there are among newspaper publishers some
who deny the right of any one TO inquire into their
affairs. 1t has been the policy of the DIRECTORY to
omit all information about circulation whenever
plainly and unequivOcaly commanded to do so. In
such the matter is disposed of by anneXing
the report the words Objcts TO stating circulation"
In every where the above command not plain
" and unequivocaly conveyed TO the publishers OF
the DIRECTORY. they make up their report in the
pursued by the mercantile agencies in esti-
mating the financial strength of merchant, and, like
the institutions referred to, they decline to reveal the
from which they have obtained their nforma-
ton.
1t is undoubtedly true that no publication of this
character is privileged, and that in instance where
a merchant or newspaper is seriously injured
by unjust materially incorrect report, the courts
furnish remedy, and both mercantile agency and
Directory publisher will be held responsible for
tual damage shown to to injured party from
a report proved upon trial to have been erroneous
RECTORY cannot escape; iJ is therefore one which
they hold themselves at all times ready to meet.
The greatest possible care is taken to make the d.
RECTORY reports accurate. Every publisher is ap-
piled 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 perjured reports TO gain an
unfair advantage.
has aris against any report which has appeared in
either o. the eight annual volumes Of the DIRECTO-
RY already issued which resulted either from
the cglect of the publisher to respond to appeals for
information effort his part to substitute 9TH
err and different information instead of answering the
plain questions the blanks furnished for the
pose from the DIRECTORY Office