Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-21
EDITORS In CoNCLAVE.
KNIGHTS OF THE QUILL AT THE
ART GALLERY.
Enjoyable Intercourse of the Breth-
ren-Interchange of Ideas-New
Press Association.

q dSSOCtGtlOD
which was started last March.
The following were present: w. S. and
Miss G. Green, Colusa Sun; W.B. Parsons,
Woodland Democrat; W. Chalmers Chico
Enterprise; e. Price, Oroville Mercury
S. S. Boynton, Oroville Register; J. ].
Campbell, Gait Gazette; w. B. H. Dodson,
Red Bluff Sentinel; w. A. Lawson, Marys.
vile Appeal; j. A. Woodson, E. B. Willis
and T. w. Sheehan, Sacramento RECORD
UNION; V. S. and C. K. McClatchy, Sacra-
mento Bee; d. c. Folger, Bridgeport
Union; H. II. Richmond, Auburn argus :
| II. A McCraney. Lakeport Avalanche W.
R. Ellis, Woodland Mail H. ]. Fisher,
Vaca Valley Enterprise ]. F. Thompson,
Humboldt Standard; E. G. Rust, Winters
Erpress Allen b. Lennon, Santa Rosa
Republican Fred Krauth. Alameda Eaci-
nal; w. ]. Davis, Sacramento Themis.
The above represent thirteen counties of
the Safe. Nine other counties were repre-
sented by letter. 1t is only fair to state
land, perhaps, only natural to expect, that
the meeting was composed of as fine class
of men as an admirer of the better class OF
manhood would care to see.
Hon. w. S. Green was elected Chair
man and c. K. McClatchy Secretary of the
meeting. Upon taking the chair Mr..
Green made an address which embodied
the main principles of the proposed assoc-
alton, and which was received with enthu-
siastic approval by all present. 1t is here
given in its entirety:
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press Association /.
Man is a social animal; IN fact, he hardly has a
real joy that does not come from the social
qualities of his nature, and the more one Guilt
Yates the social amenities of life, the happier
| better bpCOmpS There mr. hf,S
ness which demands such high culture of
| these qualities as the newspaper business. In
fact the editor is or should be, a teacher in the
| art of making people happy by the develop
ment of this most endearing quality of our ma
| ture. Teachers should cultivate and practice
! the art they teach; and no body of teachers can
become perfect without personal contact, per-
sonal intercourse personal interchange of
ideas. 1t is our duty to bring people to better
understanding of one another; to wipe out the
prejudiceS and false education so hurtful to
full enjoyment of life; and we cannot act to-
gether in such work without some personal
acQualntance-We cannot do this while full of
prejudice and ill-feeling ourselves. III other
words, we must get large portion of the beam
out OF our own eye before we proceed to remove
the mote from the eye of our neighbor. Hence
Press Associations are more important than the
associations of any other trade or profession.
We seek to be leaders of men, but we are
not taking the lead in this matter of organ
ization. While l have been editing one
newspaper for more than quarter of a
century-for about one SEVENTEEN of the time
since our Savior's birth-f must plead guilty to
having paid but little attention TO this import
ant matter. When u few of us met here a couple
OF months ago still had but faint idea of the
good that might be accomplished by u Press
Association. After that little meeting wrote
to the Secretaries of the Press Associations of
the several States, and the result was a mine of
information. l find that the fraternity o many
of the States making the associations not
only interesting as social institutions. but most
profitable in a business way. | did not have
10 10 /, 1atc
/ received, but l sent them to a committee on
constitution and bylaws and order of business,
with request that they be brought here for
information of those who might attend this
meeting.
Most of us, and especially " country" news
paper men. are constantly doing things not in
accord with correct business principles l don't
believe that there is, or ever has BEEN or ever
will be, any other business men who will estab-
lish hoard of agents to bid against each other
for work to be done by the principals How
many self-appointed agents have we got bidding
against each other for our advertising space?
How much do any of US get out of our foreign
advertising? Do we get enough to pay for the
blank paper i. covers. the postage on the letters
of explanation we have to write the trouble of
hunting up back numbers, the worry and growls
| about wrong position, and numberless troubles
| connected with this class of work?
DR.. Pilgarlic thinks he has discovereda nos
| trum that will take and has some money to in
vest i'll printers ink. He seeks one of our
agents " 10 make arrangements to have his dis
| TO pure reading matter, and his puff placed
among locals. "Our agent" knows that if he
| ooes not place the figures low down tne doctor
| Will go in next door TO another one of our
agents" and get a lower bid. He therefore
| figures that there are about so many papers that
want something with which to ill up and that
| others will take it low down because it is the
custom, and because 1t comes from our az cent
| who assures the publisher that he has got the
| last possible cent out OF the advertiser But
| DR.. Pilgarlic is too sharp to strike bargain at
forth hot.
| multitude OF agents-each acting for our best
| lnterest-until he gets the lowest bid. If the
| doctor has $4,000 TO invest, The agent Dur
5gent-gets ST., SEQ. and the difference to him OF
placing the advertising in a hundred more
! papers is only the matter of a couple of dollars
in postage stamps OF couI Sc, each one OF our
| agents bids down-away down and why
! SHOULDN'T he II does not cost him ANYTHING for
| paper and composition, aud press work and
! office rent and postagei But this is not all Dr.
Pilgarlic edyertises Tor a year and comes at ms
about this way:
You took our quarter column advertisement
| top OF column next TO reading matter with our
| four-ineh reading notice, always among locals
| changed weekly, for a dollar and six bits from
| your agent who pays you in truck and YOU
/ allow MIN % per cent. commission We have
! concluded to offer you a dollar and half for
the same work. payable i-annuallg in cash -
| Here is DR.. Pilgarlic bidding against all our
| agents. But as we calculate that il viii not
| cost US more that ten dollars to set up the adj
| vertlsement and all the notices. we start in At
|
| twenty dollars worth of "cussine" from the
doctor, have given our foreman twenty dollars
worth OF the same for giving the doctor cause
! Tor growl. Then we find that we have had
twenty five wrong insertions out Of the fifty-two
| that must be made up.
But the bottom is not yeti One of our multi
tude OF agents, knowing that the doctor is gong
10 increase the amount OF mis- advertising to
100000 is determined TO work Tor that $25 600
| the effort costs him nothing, and if he don't get
II 1t costs him nothing, ami if he does get il it
| 10 l. 10,
| duty bound 20 give the publisher and which
| comes IN as one of the perquisites OF the fore
man. ne tells the doctor thai he can get the
advertising done at the same rate he 90 IT, and
| tnat he may do all his ''cussing" through him
| and onee more the advertising comes through
one OF our agents. The doc or watches the press
| win some interest, and a. the end of the year
he concludes that the Is 600 is too much to paw
| Tor doing the ''cussing''-that he can hire ma
i to DO that for 5000, ana once more we get a
| little more than the same amount paid direct
And this process of whiting down Keeps going
| on Is 1t business? / have placed the amount
offered small, because do not want the public
| TO know how ridicuouSly small some of tnese
| offers really are. / have been shown contracts
| b. travelling agents that astonished me.
The contracts We are asked to sign by these
agents of ours, ID By the Doctors Pilgarlic are
| TO be compared only to the ironclad notes the
Shy ocks OF California used to get printed In the
good old days of three per cent per month COM
| pounded monthly. Our agents have b=en known
| TO send out. and actually get signed contracts
| 10 90 so much advertising for them at about the
cost of the composition, and then announce that
they control the interior press of California The
| press controlled Tor song, and we print the
song Consequence--the agents 1--we in palaces
the principals in novels.
No advertising should be taken at less rate
than would cover expenses il the whole adycr-
usibg space were taken at that rate.
| How many agents should Il business man have
bidding against each other 70. work he is to do?
| leave this for you TO answer.
Because of lack of business understanding
| with each ether we are constantly imposed upon
by class represented by The Carnell- Firz.
! hugh Hopkins Co.-Capital stock; $4,000
| treasurer. Bank of California Wv hose circular
received last saturday. aud which some if no.
all OF you doubtless received. The Co" has
| issued q pamphlet which ii desires US 10 notice
" FOR the benefit of our patrons" But les. al. oil
US would not see Is in that light, the circular
concludes with glitteriDg promise - Please
| to forward Us a copy of your next issue, that we
| may see il. You may find this OF future adyau.
| tage in u business way. because, as we deal ia
| lands in VERY part OF the State. and are con.
| slant advertisers, we may need the columns OF
your paper Tor ad erising purposes at any
| time"
take This circular az an illustration of class
| because il is the last received. and is fresh in
| your minds, but We all get them by the bushel
| and in my whole newspaper life / have never
| received dollar from parties making such gilt
| tering promises Men who are disposed 70
bum will pos pay for that which they can
| bum" Yet with all my experience / OCCASION
| ally bite, AND there Ii not one of these propo-
| sitions that does not catch some of my ex-
changes.
Again: A marble-cutter from, a neighboring
| town walks into my Office, and asks If will
not take a little spin around town in his buggy.
OF course editors always like spin aud 20.