The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1880-12-21
a Word TO Newspaper Msn.

There Is much work to be done by
the District l'ress meeting soon 10
be held Mt Madisonvillc. For opse
We must meet for ths TRANSACTIONS of
business and not 10 feast with fyiends
and flirt with girls alone.
One of the subjects that oughtto be
discussed and acted upon Is the prac-
ticc followed by many newspapers OF
taking ad seYthemenis from adyeriis-
ing agencies for their own prices.
This Is one ef the worst things thsA
can be done by paper, and II fol.
lowed up viii eventually ruin 1t,
We sec some papers literally filed
with advertisements, that do not pay
one fifth oftheir regular rates. Ad.
vertising agents, with the cheek Of q
government mule will send you a
cut TO be inser' ed for which they
agree to pay you so'mpeh, without
ever consulting you as to your rates,
and then want you 10 publish free
puffs every week while the thing con.
tinues Many papers without stop
ping TO consider the injustice done 10
their advertisers who are.charged full
rates, take these, ''io fill up" and
often take the pay In some patent
coffee pot, or female bi.ters that they
will have TO give or throw away TO
get rid OF. The meeting must take
action upon this as body and by
uniting they can force advertisers TO
pay fair rates or not advertise their
goods at all in the large section OF
the State, where our papers circulate,
Thisis one thing that should occupy
the attention ofthe meeting.
The cash system as to taking sub
scriptions has been tried by few
papers in the district and il will no
doubt be brought before The convcn-
ton. There are many men who are
perfectly honest aud reliable and will
pay Tor their papers Whenever their
accounts are presented. These men
would feel hurt II their names were
stricken IRON the books when their
subscriptions expired. If these are
given credit others knowing 1t, ask IL
also and consequently many get the
paper who have no intention Of ever
paying for it. A certain .Iass Will
sometimes pay for one year and after
their time has'run over from two 10
twelve months, notify you that they
do not wish TO renew, and thus swim
die you out of your hard earned mon
ey. There are numbers OF men who
profess to be honest who do this.
Then would 1t not be much better If
all newspapers would. adopt the cash
in advance system2 Does man go
TO dry goods store and buy goods
on twelve months timer No, sir un-
less he is knownt to be responsible
man lie is required to pay the money
when he gets the goods. Then why
should printers not act on business
principles and send papers to those
only who pay for them ? There is no
country newspaper tina. does not lose
hundreds Of dollars this way every
year. II we do not decide to adopt
the cash plan we might at least take
some steps in That direction.
Again, there Is another thing that
should be looked into, that ia the
practice of receiving so called "dead
head" tickets, passes etc. Most peo-
pie regard this as special compli-
ment to editors and do not stop 10
consider that for every free ticket an
editor gets he Is expected to pay four
prices In free pulls whether he can
do SO conscientiously or not. Let's
inauguraie a new order Of things.
and pay for what we get and charge
for what we do. These are only a
few. Of the subjects likely to come be-
fore the Press meeting next month
and every editor should go with the
intention OF transacting business In
stead of having fun.
Let us rake steps that may perhaps
be endorsed by the Stale Press asso.
citation and maybe in the course Of
time the whole Pres OF the State,
will be banded together 10 protect the
business interests of that much abused