The Livingston enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1914, 1890-07-12

! selecting. This subject covers broad field, ar
. l am at q loss to know what particular branches
y advertising the president intended shoul
J. cover
V Tie most vexatious class of advertisers wit
9 whom newspapers have to deal is that known q
2 the natent medicine man. These people as rul
! send an advertisement covering space of a ha
o inch or an inch; but diff renee how small, il
a typographical appearance is so ugly as to ms
the columns Of any paper; then they generousl
) offer rate for q year which would not be a.
S cept.d from a local advertiser for q month, sa,
. ing at the same time that it must be run anon
pure reading matter or top of column next read
ing matter, and marked paper, and sometime Il,
addresses they give them. Should they miss
copy Of tle paper, when you send your Dill. Dc
d fore they, settle they nslst that you send ther
! from your file copy of the missing number
g. and when you think you are about to get settle
> mens there comes along a statement made up b
some 12year-old boy, in yAlch you are informe
30 incorrect ones, and that when these wron
insertions are made good they will remit abon
six bits An experience OF several years will
this sort of advertising has clearly proven to M
that in order for the papers of Montana, botl
dali, and weekly. to do this work without loss
we must unite on system OF rates and i've up :.
it. If the Livingston ENTEKPEisE refused an ad
of this kind the probabilities ara that 1t Will ~
sent to the Post, and the latter paper, not know
ing it has already been refused by its contempt
rary, may accept It, thus giving the ADVERTISING
agent an entrance into the field which he coult
not have had without paying full rates ii the two
papers were united.
In making contracts for foreign Advertisements
the fact should not be lost sight OF that they re
quiro double the work necessary in local busi
ness. In addition, Montana has the reputation
both on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, OF hav
e Of say Of tRe ne% states Is also
knomledged by newspaper publishers and adver
tsing agents that the, papers published In Mon
tana. both daily and weekly are far ahead In ev'
erythng that goes to make good paper OF those
OF other communities which have three times the
population.
Bearing these facts in mind, and their truth
must be acknowledged by every man here to-day,
it would seem to me that if we would take a
united stand, In elk months the branch OF our
business which is to-day the least profitable and
most annoying would become one OF our best
| sources of revenue.
In making rates for foreign advertisements it
should not be forgotten that unlike the same
business done for local firm there is no Job
printing or subscription to go with IT, why
| should we charge the local merchant, who pays
! us hundreds of dollars year for advertising and
job printing, for his paper, and give the same
paper TO an advertising agent who pays ns less
than zen dollars, is one of the things the average
| business man cannot understand In making
these rates my idea is there should be no cutting
| of card rates. and unless the contract calls Tor
| large sum, the paper should also be charged FOR
In cases where special position ls called Tor there
should be q certain per cent added, according to
| its desifaDillty.
readers which is another source OF dispute,
not only between publishers and foreign adver-
tsers, but also between the former and local Gus
| readers wants them to be just like the news
matter. And this clsss is generally willing to
pay little more than for the came space In the
case You viii ever after and that he wants the
heading in Just little larger type than the style
of the paper calls for. This di6iculty overcome,
he then wants the ad put in certain place, ana
If there happens to be competitor also running
reader at the same time he will request, because
he brings all his business to you, that you put
his reader in such position as to kill the good
effectot his competitor. Then, when you have
gotte. over this snag, he is particular TO requeet
that you do not put any mark on it which will
show that it is paid matter.
Nos,, as a newspaper is published primarily
for the benefit Of the reader, 1t seems to me that
there should be some classification OF reading no
tices well Of news matter, and that such
ment to the advertiser. Were such classification
made, and did the advertiser take the interest he
should in it, changing his notices 80 often that
thew would not become stale the intending pur-
chaser, no matter in what line, before starting
out on shopping expedition, would look over
the paper and, knowing just where to look for a
bargain, would certainly turn first to this classi-
fed column. The great difficulty in this matter
lies IN the fact that we, as publishers, allow ad-
vertisers to think they know more about the news
paper business than we do ourselves. Take the
ordinary reader and ask him why he prefers
certa. paper, end in nine cases out or ten he
knows Just where to lind what he is looking for t
in other words, the matter is classified II we
impress this fact upon the local reader adver-
tiser," think we will be able to give our papers
much nester appearance, at the same time Civ
ing the reader better value for his money. At
some way so that the paper itself shall not be
held responsible for the utterances OF man
who pays for so many lines In this also there
must be united action.
There is another matter which think calls for |
serious consideration by this association Ac- |
cording to the laws of the state newspapers are
prohibited from advertising lotteries; neverthe-
less, number of Montana papers take this busi-
ness. Now If this law Is dead letter, It Is the
duty of the press, as conservator OF public |
morality and as the upholder OF the laws to aid
particularly to them. Only few days ago the
Independent received very fatterlng offer to
advertise lottery which 1t had before refused on
account of the law, the would-be customer say
ing as other Montana papers, which we're quoted
did the business, he saw no reason for refusal
The ordinary publisher Is not as rule printing
f91 glory and II he mas the hs
petitors have he certainly will not let contract
involving several hundred dollars slip through
his fingers.
figuring how they can get the lowest rates or
how they can overreach the publisher. These
men will get rates for year, Sign contract,
der their ads. out and then complain because
is refused on q basis of yearly con-
tract. In my opinion the best way to deal with
at least when they violate yearly contract simply
tor the purpose OF getting advantage Of yearly
rate and not because of any fault of the pub
Usher.
There is another thing brought to my mind,
and it is subject which confess is q great
source Of annoyance, and that is, how to Tree
man who is continually nudging you In the ribs
and suggesting that 1t would Be good item to
state that he is fixing up his show window with
the finest line OF goods ever seen In the state;
hath ia 6nin {u,n hna |
than ever before. That Mrs. Smith, wife OF our
and most extensive clothing dealer,
has left the city, that Mr.. Blown, the genial gro
Ger on Main street, is this happiest man in town,
his wife having presented him with pair OF
twins, and he wishes it understood that in conse-
luence is selling groceries cheaper than ever
which one encounters in soliciting good paying
and, while they may seem some
what amusing, they in the course OF ones daily
career become somewhat monotonous. OF
course regular advertiser is deserving of some
attention, and complimentary notice given oc
is but what is justly due him. but it Is
not usually the good advertiser who asks for the
Favors. but on the contrary the one who believes
hat ''advertising is not of much beneft," is the
very one who is continually asking for some
hing for nothing.
Display advertising is branch of the business
that calls for great deal of attention in the bus
mess department OF newspaper. To ind po-
'itioD TO suit all advertisers is sometimes diff
,ult one. If we could have the entire paper con-
'ist of top of column. next or following reading
natter space, or even have the entire paper con-
'ist of local matter pages, this trouble could be
lvoided. Everyone wants the best position.
Some are willing to pay for it, while Others who
ire always asking for 1t. do not seem to realize
hat it should be worth more. We all know of /
course that we must have good advertising pat
onage, and while believe that advertisers are !
deserving of great deal of consideration, do ,
lot believe that they should have control and die
ate to the publisher what portions of the paper
hould be given them. newspaper should have ,
eseryed for it's readers certain columns, and al
ertisers should he given to understand that no 8
will be allowed on this space. :
There are some business men who would compel /
Ou to insert an ad. on the outside of your !
hases If you would accept it.
AS to general advertising rates, it has been the
ustom, so far as have been able to see in Mon =
ana, for everyone to have rate to suit himself;
sort of ego as You please.U OF course We all !
ave the "largest circulation" and ''our paper is
he best advertising medium" My idea is that
he rates for advertising should be governed by q
he size of the community in which You are pub \
ishing your paper, and the prosperity which /
our business men are enjoying, never failing to I
make these rates fairly remnnerative. II your 4
own or city il prosperous your merchants should e
e libel al advertisers, and when . few advertise
berally others are sure to follow, and going on I
he principle that the supply should meet the h
emand, see no reason why the newspapers of c
iontana should not receive . good, profitable I
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