Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-05-13
Local Organization.
BY LEWIS LAMkIN, DEMOCRAT.

Local Organization.
b LEWIS LAMKIN, GALLATIN DEMOCRAT.
The recorded transactions of this
association is sufficient evidence that
it is unsaited for practical purposes.
Having assisted in its organization,
and been an active participant in
most of it's annual meetings, expert
ence teaches me the impracticabilitv
of anything practical coming from it
directly. Its work a only be gen.
eral AID advisory. The country.
press is governed in its busineDl
operations by local surroundings,
and must be governed by regulations
suited to its locality. Hence an
organization by senatorial or judicial
districts, or even by counties, car be
made of much practical benefit.
The bane of the country press is
inexperience, to say nothing of in
competency hundreds of newspapers
are started by men who do not know
a "shooting-stick' from an s-penny
nail, 10 q legal square from the or
binary carpenter square. They have
an indistinct IDEA that the press is a
wonderful elevating lever whilSsrtfe
editor has but to sit iUftseasy chair
debating policissto govern the world.
He learasafter awhile that there are
numberless and important duties to
be performed, q correct knowledge of
which requires long years of practical
study.
Next to this inexperience the great
cut-throat of the country printers
business is local rivalry, jealousy,
n~onsensical competition. More than
half the country publishers are, to
use a common phrase, at outs. This
is true, and you all know it. You
get upon your dignity and say you
have no i'll feeling against the editor
of the other papers, but you are only
trying to deceive yourself. You des-
pise him and his methods, and doubt
less the feeling is mutual. But how
silly this hate is when it extends in
to your business operations. Let US
illustrate.
Dry goods drops in and says, "Mr.
Editor, / want half column space
three months, changed weekly.
What is your price?' "Thirty dol
lars" "Oh, my dear sir, l can't
stand that. The other paper asks
only $40" Another man comes in
fer o thousand assorted bill heads.
You tell him your price and he says
the other fellow does it Is per cent.
less. Could not this condition of af-
fairs be obviated by an honest local
organization, q mutual understand.
ing, q local scale of rates? There
should also be an understanding as
to what is advertising matter, as dis
tingulshed from local news. Mum.
bers of inexperienced country pub
fishers r giving themselves away
each issue of their papers by publish.
ing free gratis items that should be
paid for at local advertising rates.
Old as I am in the trade, 1 sometimes
want to kick myself fer being wheed.
led into this deadhead business. You
do SO sometimes because you are
fearful the other fellow will, and, il
you refuse, q customer may become
offended. A local understanding
would ob@iate this,as well as show in
experienced publishers what is pay
matter.
It is useless to enumerate the many
advantages to be derived from organ.
ization ; each of you will recogniz.
them without elaboration. But how
are we to bring about such organiza.
ton? II have triedit and failed
"The other fellows wont take hrld.'
Let the state association here step in
and try its persuasive powers; let il
appoint q state organizer with au.
thority to go into each county, talk to
each publisher, get them all together,
show them the benefits to be derived
from the plan, and il they have any
business ideas the organization car
be effected. "Oh, WE'LL" says you.
"they wont stick a week" l am still
old fogyish enough to believe there is
honor among the profession as wen a.
among thieves, but a penalty nigh
be included for those who violate
rules.
Railroads pool and cooperate
type founders, press makers. papeI
men, ink men, all cooperate. Ii
fact, they ell do it, whilst the %countr,
publishers drag along, numbering
their business because of jealousy
incompetency, rivalry and unneces
sary competition. Let US see if WI
cannot take a step In advance of any
other Press association in the land
Appoint a conservative, practical, ex
perienced man tc assist in organizing
every district and county in the stat,
upon a plan Of local cooperation ant
mutual benefit.