The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-08-29
DEAD-BEAT ADVERTISERS.

The world is full of people who want
something for nothing. Perhaps the
newspaper publisher has better oppor-
tunity to find this out than any other
person. We receive all kinds of propo-
| sitions from firms and individuals
abroad who want us to giue them space
in our columns while they pretend to
pay for the same. The fellows refer
red to below are fair samples. The
Concord Times says:
We have received from Hewitt &
Hosier, advertising agents of New York,
a proposition to send US a 5000 paper
cutter and take pay IN advertising.
/ They offer us the muni6cent sum of
81 per inch per year, thus taking 100
inches of advertising space to get the
cutter. We have received a similar
proposition from this firm before.
Now on examining the catalogues
of various dealers, we find that we can
get identically the same cutter for $50
which they offer at 5000. They not
only have the gall to fix the advertis-
ing themselves at very low rate, but
they want to charge us two and one
half times what the article they pro-
pose to sell us is actually worth. Such
monumental cheek is characteristic
only of an advertising agent.
But, it is we'll to inquire why these
propositions are sent out to papers all
over the country. There must be some
who accept them or they would not be
sent. Newspaper publishers who &C
cept these ruinous contracts are alone
to blame for the fact that other and
respectable journals are insulted
by receiving them. Until publishers
themselves refuse to accept these propo-
sitions, the agents will continue to send
them out, and no longer. They can
not place their advertisements without
the publishers consent.
Newspapers that are forced to accept
every proposition they receive, in which
they get something without paying
actual cash for it, have no business in
existence, and 1t is better for the pro-
fesslon when they die. They are the
excrescence of journalism, and tend to
bring disrepute on a high and honora-
BILE profession.
We hope there is not a publisher in
North Carolina who would defraud his
home advertisers, stultify himself and
disgrace his profession by accepting s |
columns of advertisements from an
agent for about SIG a column a year,
payable in chips and whetstones. If
such there be, go mark him we'll.
Commenting on this, the Nash
vile Argonant says:
We most heartily endorse what the
Times says. We receive any number
OF advertisements with propositions to
insert at about ne-fourth our rates.
All such are at once consigned to our
waste basket. We see these ADVERTISE
ments in other papers, and conclude
they were taken at the rates offered us.
We publish our advertising rates, and
never vary from them under any Cir
cumstances. We have had agents to
call upon us and show us their con-
tracts with other papers. Our only
answer IS, here are our rates-the rates
we charge our home patrons-if you
don't like them there is no use pro-
longing the interview. To accept the
offer OF these people is to disparage the
value OF our own columns. We think
he press of North Carolina ought to
put a solid foot right down on this
hing at once. We started out on that
Inc and have no idea of changing.
indeed we regard their offers as insults.
That is the way to talk it. Let the
''put solid foot down on
his sort of thing" They ought to
lave more business sense and more in {
dependence about them. To accept ,
UGH offers as these is an injustice to
10Th themselves and their home pat 8
ons. Have one price (and that a :
easonable living one) and charge all I
like. That is the GOLD LEAFS motto ,
nd it endeavors to live up to although
refuse column unon column rs ,a ,