The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-01-10
1 CIRCULATION { y)lMllLS.

The object OF The AMERICAN NEWSPAPER DI.
EEC1OEY is not very different from that OF the we'll
known mercantile agencies which exist ia all leading
cities. The latter keep theis subscribers Informed Of
the character habits, eoutation business ability and
financial strength OF persons with whom they likely
to have business transactions enabling them thereby to
80 regulate those transactions as to secure probably
profitable dealings, to avoid such will be likely 10
result IN uitii5at" annoyance or los=.
The DIRECTORY conveys the best obtained in;orma-
toa concerning the character and value o. ncwspape
It's arons the men who expcnd money in aoycrtis-
Ing IA large and important CLASSY, and 1t Is from them
that the publisher, of the DIRECTORY in their capaci
~ OF advertising agents. derive their profit and support
1t IS 10 them and not to publishers that they
owe the dIty of faithful service. Tic theory that ad
ertsng agencies the servants of newspapers and
should advance their interests first is annhilated by the
system long adopted by publishers, almost without ex
ceOn ofigncrng any idea of protecting the 3ocallcd
agency and maintaining the right to appoint compctit
ors in the field without the consent of those a
ready occupying it. -r'.r r
"syHE MOST IMPORTANT POTION OF THE lNFoXM-
ALTON SUPPLIED Hy MERCANTILE AGENCY CONSISTS
OF HEpoET OF THE FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF TRR
PERSON ABOUT WHOM REFORMATION IS AcKED, so is
THE REGULATION or A :" EWsrAPEE GENERALLY CON
sIDEEED 'Iar POINT Upon WHICH INFORMATION vi Il
20 o" MOST VALUE TO :'HE AD1I.TlsEE.
There re, among merchants some who deny the
light mercantile agency to inquire into their pri-
7a+e fairs, and who decline giving information up
on which report may be bascd but the me rcantile
agency does not that account, neglect to make
port gets other the best obtainatle in
formation, and upon this its estimate Is based, although
II cannot be denied that the retcence OF the pa1y III
question is almost always attributed to knowledge up
mis- part that true report would be preudcia to hit
credit The report made is, therefore, likely to be less
favO able than it might have been had the Information
! asked ro~ been cheerfully and frankly furnished.
So also there are among newspaper publishers some
who deny the light of one to inqnre into their at
fairs IT has been the policy of the publishers OF thu
D1REC Glory to omit all Information about circulation
whenever plainly and acknowledgements to d.
So In such the matter is disposed OF by annexnf
to the report the words obccts to stating circulation
In every where the above command is not planl.
| and uDequivocaly cow eyed to the publishers Of III
| DIRECTORY, they make up their report In same man
pursued by the mercantile agencies In estimating
the financial strength of merchant and like the in
stu0ns referred they decline to reveal the source
| rom which they have obtained their Information
I. is undoubtedly true that publication of thi
character is privileged and that In an instance where
merchant or newspaper is seriously injured by
us or materially incorrect report the courts furnish
remedy and both mercantile agency or Directory pul
Usher viii be held responsible for actual damage show
to accrue to injured party from report proved upo
trial to have been erroneous.
This is liability which the publishers Of the DIREC
TORY cannot escape; it is therefore one which the
hold themselves at all times ready to meet. 4'
The greatest possible is taken to make the d.
RECTOEY reports correct Every publisher is apple
to very systematically. All Information is taken in
form which excludes any but definite statements whc
cannot be misunderstood. while every effort is made
protect honest publishers agans t1uch would rcsol
to lying perured reports to gain unfair advantage
1t has rarely been found that of complaint he
arisen against report which has appeared In cithe
OF the annual volumes Of the Directory alread
issued. which has not resulted either from the neget
of publisher to respond to appeals for information
an effort his part to substitute other and different il
formation instead of answering the plain questions u
on the blanks Furnished for the purpose from the
| RECTORY Office,