The record-union., 1891-12-25
THE DIRECT AVENUE TO THE
PUBLIC EAR.


A distinguished actor, say the dis
patches, has directed that all advertising
of his performances and the entertain
ments offered by his company shall
hereafter be done through the newspa-
pers of the day, and no more by paper
that is to say, by posters, Autographs
and the like.
Mr.. Mansfield. we must assume, is sin
cere in this resolution. By the enuncia-
ton he has, Of course, commanded from
the press unusual attention. But as a
pioneer in theatrical reform he is well
come to the free advertising his PROPOSE
ton secures to him.
The wallpaper" system appeals to
the eye mainly and very little to the un-
derstanding. Its abandonment may
hard hit photographers, job printers and
bill posters, but such abandonment will
conserve two good ends; it viii improve
the appearance of our streets, redeeming
them from an unsightly display, and
will add the prosperity of the best ave-
nue. for addressing the intelligence of the
public.
This is essentially a newspaper and a
newspaper reading age. Through the
columns of the daily papers that are
legitimately devoted 10 business an
nouncements, the people whose patron
age is worth having are most numerously
and directly reached. If all business
men could be brought to look upon the
matter as Mr.. Mansfield views it, the
public would reap benefit not less than
the advertisers. For the system would
enable the newspaper publishers to give
greater value to their readers. If the
dissipation of advertising by wasteful
and tawdry means could be stopped, and
concentration Of the money thus used be
secured in advertising columns of le-
gitimate newspapers, obviously the pub
lie would be as much better served as
would be the advertisers.
1t is unnecessary to refer to notable in
stances of success attained by legitimate
advertising-tha is, by use of newspaper
advertising columns. The great instances
stand out from all the multitude only bv
reason Of their magnitude and persist
ence, for the small advertiser is equally
with the great. the beneficiary of legiti-
mate advertising. The daily repetition,
the familiarizing of the readers eye with
the business, and business title and bust
ness announcements, more than. what is
said in them is what insures compensa-
ton.
1t is noteworthy that within twenty
five years great reformation has taken
place in this matter of advertising. No
where, except in sections where the news
paper is very infrequent in visitation,
does the merchant any longer announce
his receipt of new wares by flaming
posters headed by preposterous cuts OF
impossible elephants, ridiculous locomo-
tives and exaggerated exclamation points.
All such methods are now left to the
circus agencies, which address rather the
gaping crowd than the intelligent multi
tude.
liza thousand people in day seein rapid
glance poster, from ten to twenty thou
sand will read the same announcement in
the columns of their morning paper,
peruse it in the evening news sheets, or
in rural parts examine its claims with
critical calm in their weekly journal.
That the theatrical profession should SO
long have chung to the old-time relic OF
the glazing poster, with its heavy cost,
and have so limited their press announce
ments, is somewhat surprising. As rule
they do not expend in legitimate news
paper advertising sum equal to that
they pay the bill-poster for disfiguring
blank walls. They. are simply going tc
mill with stone in one end of the bag,
because their fathers did so before them.
If they are the shrewd business men they
claim to be they know that line in a
newspaper of fair standing and decent
CiICuldlIOn - ISdO anu commented upon
by ten persons for every paper issued
from the press. Indeed, that figure is by
New York statisticians deemed too low;
they place the readers of the daily press
at from eighteen to twenty-five to every
subscriber; this is probably too high
however, except for the very large cities
where there is an immense transient cir
culation.
The people of this day are advertise
ment readers. He deceives himself
greatly who imagines that the adyertis
ing columns. first. last and all of them
are not read. Careful and critical study
of the subject demonstrates that no adj
vertisement is lost, no matter where it il