The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-02-08
CIRCULATION ESTIMATES.

The object of the AMERICAN NEWSPA.
PER DIRECTORY is not very different from
that Of the well-knOWn mercantile agencies
which exists in all the leading cities. The
latter keep their subscribers informed of the
character. habits, reputation, business sbili-
ty and financial strength of persons with
whom they are likely to have business trans
actions, enabling them there bv to so regulate
those transactions as 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 OBJ
tanned information concerning the character
and value of newspapers. Its patrons are
the men who eIpeHd money in advertising
a large and important class and it is FROM
them that the publishers of the DIRECTO-
RG in their capacity of advertising agents
derive their support. It is to them and
not to the newspaper publishers that they
owe the duty of faithful service The theo-
~ that advertising agencies are the servants
OF newspapers, and should advance their in
terests first, is annihilated by the system
long adopted by publishers almost without
exception, of ignoring any idea of protecting
the sO-caIed agency and maintaining the
night to appoint competitors in the same 1eld,
without the consent of those already occupy.
ing it.
As the most important part of the infor-
nation supplied by a mercantile agency con-
slsts OF report Of the financial strength of
persons about whom information is asked, so
is the circulation OF newspaper generally
considered the point upon which Informal
ton will be Of most value to the advertiser.
There are, among merchants, some who de-
nv the right of 4 mercantile agency to inquire
Tito their private affairs, and who decline
-,
may be based; out the mercantile agency
does not, on thar account, neglect to make
report 1t gets from other sources the best
obrainable information. aud upon this its
estimate is based although it cannot be
denied that the retiCeuce OF the party
in question is almost always attrib-
uted TO a knowledge upon his part
that a true report would be preju-
dical to his credit. The report made is, there
fore, 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 pub
fishers some who deny the right Of any one
TO INQUIRE into their affairs. 1t has been the
policy of the publishers of the DIRECTORY
to omit all information about circulation
whenever plainly and uneqmvocally com
manded to do SO. In such eases the matter
is disposed of by anneXing to the report the
words "ObjectS 10 stating circuldtjOu" In everv
case where the above command is not plain
" and uneQuivocally conveyed to the pub.
fishers of the DIRECTORY, they make up
their report in the same manner pursued by
the mercantile agencies IN estimating the
financial strength Of 4 merchaHt,and like the
Institution referred 10, then decline to reveal
the sources from which they have obtained
their information.
It is undoubtedly true that no publication
of this character IS privileged, and that in an
instance where merchant or a newspaper is
Seriously injured by an unjust or materially
incorrect report the courts furnish a remedy,
and both mercantile agency or Directory
publishers will be held responsible for actual
damage shown to accrue to an injured party
from report proved upon trial to have been
erroneous.
This is a liability which the publishers of
the DIRECTORY cannet escape; it is there,
FORE one which they hold themselves at all
times ready to meet
The gre test possible care is taken to make
the DIRECTORY reports correct. Every
publisher is applied to very systematically.
All information is taken in form which eI-
cludes any but deAnate statements which
cannot be misunderstood while every effort
is made to protect honest publishers against
such as would resort to living or periured re-
ports to gain an unfair advantage.
II has rarely been fouud that a cause Of
complaint has arisen against any report
which has aPpearediu either Of the seven an.
nual volumes 9th Directory already issued,
which has NOT reSulte either from the ne
glect Of a publisher IL respond 10 appeals
for information or an effort on his part TO
substitute other and different information
instead ii answering the plain questions
upon the blanks furnished Tor the purpose
from the DIRECTORY office.