The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-07-25

to be sufficient to prevent any similar
arrangement being made, as we'll for
the honor Of the Judges, as for the
prosperity of the press. Very largely
also, the attorneys in the State, seek
to obtain commission on the legal
printing, especially on mortgage
sales, and chancery orders" sent by
them to the newspapers. Just why
it would not be as legitimate for the
press to demand, that the lawyer d.
vide his fees for doing the work in
these cases, as it is for the lawyer to
demand OF the press division | can
not see, as fees in both cases are fixed
by statute, or by court rules, or both.
From this summary it will be
readily seen that though unnecessary
competition, coupled to a limited ex.
tent with unfair opposition, the pub
fishers are losing the cream of all
their legal patronage, oftimes, in
deed, not having SO much as the
skinned milk left. That this is the
fact you all know. That this is all
wrong you all affirm. Why then
should this state of things exist /?
For it there must be an adequate rem
edy which will be just to all. To de-
wise that remedy is the demand Of
the hour, among publishers, who be-
leve that olive and let live" should
be the purpose of rival publishers.
To prevent this competition that
is so ruinous to our bushes interests,
to me there does not seem to be but
one way, and that is cooperation
among publishers. Some years since,
when l was publisher of The Banner,
at Hastings, a county Press Associa-
alton was organized. and an agree
ment in writing made, that the pub
fishers would not, for the space of
one year, insert any legal advertise
ment for less than statute prices, and
that in answer to any proposition for
rates printed copy of that agree
ment should be sent. Fairly, if not
absolutely, this contract was lived up
to, and as result the receipts OF
each paper were largely increased,
those of The Banner Office, despite
the fact that it was the Republican
organ, in Republican county, fully
thirty-three per cent. The same re.
suit will follow the same arrangement
in almost every county in the State,
and why should not publishers with
one accord agree to such an arrange
ment. 1t is certain that it would
largely increase their receipts, and
do much to secure friendly feeling,
such as ought TO exist among the
working members of the fraternity.
Publishers often overlook the fact,
that there is large responsibility
imposed in the publication of legal
advertisements. l know of one in.
stance which aptly illustrates the ex-
tent of this responsibility as deter
mined by the courts. A mortgage sale,
nine folios long, the legal fees for
printing were S44.Io, was inserted in
one of our local papers. The adver-
tisement was printed for the full
term of twelve weeks, thirteen inser-
tons. On examination it was found
that in the word cit" in one line of
the advertisement the 81" had either
dropped out or had been broken off.
The attorney refused to pay for the
advertisement, and learned Judge
| uCCluSQ that tilC ObiiSolOh Wdo ldtul,
and the work was all done over again,
the last time of course without pay.
In another instance publisher was
threatened with criminal prosecu.
ton for perjury by distinguished
attorney because during the publica.
ton of mortgage sale, typograpb
ical error in spelling a single word
was corrected after the first publica
ton was made, the change being to
spell the word give" correctly, where
as in the first issue it was spelled
"fove," but the figures which fol-
lowed were correctly given, this error
was made in stating the amount
claimed TO be due. The error was
held to be fatal, and a re-adver'
tisement followed, though the Grim