Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-01-17
CIRCULATION!

The object of the AMERICAN NEWSPAPER DI-
KECIokl IS not very different from that OF thu we'll
elites The latter keep their subscribers informed of
the character. habits, reputation business ability and
financial strength of persons with whom they are
likely 10 have business transactions enabling them
thereby To so regulate those Transactions
probably profitable dealings, TO avoid such as Will
be likely 10 resul; in ultimate ANNOYANCE or loss
Inc DihEIIoRl CONVEYS the best obtainanle in,
newspapers It's patrons are the men who eNpcnd
money ~ advertising large and Important classl,
and II Is from mem that the publishers OF the Df.
RECTORl, In their capacity of advertising agents,
derive their profits and support. IT, TO them. and
not to newspaper publishers that they owe the duty
OF faithful service. The theory that advertising agen
Ses are their f 81 ANA sGna x
TEN long adopted by publishers, almost without ex-
or a q ny isfn m rs e tine
competitors In the same hcld without the OF
those already occupying IL,
As THE MOST IMPORTANT PORTION OF THE INFoR-
NATION SUPPLIED ny MERCANTILE AGENCY CON
SIS, OF a REPORT OF THE fiNANCiAL STRENGTH or
so Is rHE CIRCULATION OF NEWSPAPER GENERAL.
TIoN WILL MOST VALUE TO THE ADVERTISER
There are, among merchants, some who deny the
waite affairs, and Who decline giving any information
upon which report may be based; but The mercan-
sreport II gets from other sources the obtnina
bic information and upon this Its estimate Is based,
party in question is almost always attributed to
knowledge upon his part that true report would be
lore, likely to he less favorable than would have
been had the Information asked for been cheerfully
md frankly furnished.
SO also there among newspaper publishers some
who deky the right OF any one to inquSe into their
affairs Ii has been the policy OF the DIRECTORY to
omit all information about circulation whenever
plainly and unequvoeally commanded to do so. In
such cases the matter is disposed of by annexiDg to
the report the words. obj cts TO stating circuidh0n
In every Gaze where the above command Ia not PLAN
ly and uneqbvocaliy conveyed to the publishers OF
the DIRECTORY, they make up their report in the
manner pursued by the mercantile agencies In esti-
mating the financial strength Of merchant and like
the institutions referred to- they decline reveal tho
ton.
II is undoubtedly true that publication OF this
character Is privileged and that in an instance where
n merchant or newspaper Is seriously injured
by unjust materially incorrect report the courts
furnish n remedy, and both mercantile agency and
Directory publisher will be held responsible for &c
tua damage shown to accrue TO injured party from
a report proved upon trial to have been erroneous.
This Is a liability which the publishers OF the d.
RECTORY cannot escape. IL Is therefore one which
they hold themselves at alltmes ready to meet.
The greatest possible care Ia taken To make the Di
RECTORY reports accurate Every publisher Ia APP
piled to very systematically. All information Is taken
which cannot be misunderstood, while every effort IL
made To protect honest publishers against such ~
would resort 10 lying or perjured reports to gain an
unfair advantage.
II has r,rcly been found that a cause OF complaint
has arisen against any report which Inns appeared In
either If the eight annual volumes OF The DfkEt'GO
RY ALREADY issued which has not resulted either from
Information effort his part 10 substitute 9TH
and different information instead OF answering the
plan questions the blanks furnished for the pur
pose IRON the DIRECTORY ONCE.