Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-20

vertising agencies, while q good many news
papers throughout the country have their
own special men here.
Perhaps the aggregate salaries and COM
missions of these men would not be over
stated at half a million per annnm. Some
of these agents make as high as S15, 900 per
year in commissions-a great number from
81, 1000 to S., 5,000-which is more than most
frst-class editors and general all-round
newspaper men get. This applies only to
the "hustlers"-mep who actually solicit.
The managers and firms realize considerably
more. They are generally wealthy. Their
fortunes are built upon from 10 to 15 per
cent OF the advertising business they handle.
THE WORK OF THE AGENT.
The advantage Of the agent to the general
advertiser can be seen at glance If you
had q certain advertisement which you
wished to place in a certain class of publi-
cations it would be long and difficult job
I, to arrange with each of such publications
separately, and the aggregate cost would be
more thus taken, to say nothing of the diff
nculty of watching your advertisement to
see that it appeared according to contract
In every issue. If you were using 100 daily
papers or more, it would be an impossible
lty. So you hire man to do it. That is,
you 60 to the advertising agent, who has
long list of newspapers, magazines, etc.
He can give you the relative value Of each
as to circulation and importance for your
purpose, the rates in each and everything.
He Will have an experienced writer Of
advertisements get up your advertisement
and clever artist draw the designs of your
cuts, If any are to be used, and he will have
these cuts made and proof of the whole as
1t is to appear in print, submitted to you
for your approval. If the ''ad' is for s
magazine, cut Of the page and q proof
thereof will be furnished showing Just how
it will look relatively with other adver-
tisements.
WATCHING THE PAPERS
Once approved the "ad" will be sent out
to the papers and periodicals agreed upon.
When it has begun to run the agent will
inspect every issue in which it is to appear
under contract and the appearances will be
checked up in the books, deductions will be
made where it has been left out or appears
in the wrong place, and the publisher must
make the error good. You have nothing to
do with it and don't have to bother with it
except in the trifing exception of settling
the bill on account rendered. As in the
meantime you have became pretty busy
answering correspondence connected with
The benefits derived from this system are
not for the advertiser alone, but equally
accrue to the publishers, whose business
complications are greatly sinplifed. The
great advertising agents are to the business
office Of newspaper or periodical what the
Associated Press is to the news depart
ment. The discounts are not larger than
the cost of special service Some very re-
spectacle journals cling to their old ira
d1tions, but the magazines have wholly SUI
rendered to the advertising agents. Such
men as George P. Rowel & Co., J. Walter
Thompson & Co., W. W. Sharpe & Co.,
Dauchy & Co., the National Advertising
Agency, Frank Kiernan & Co. and others
of like respectability
LARGELY CoNTRoL NEW YORK
general advertising and cut a pretty wide
swath in. local advertising outside Of
''Wants" and 'cFor Sales and similar
items 1t keeps the big papers busy, root
and branches, looking after these.
1t is said by Mr.. Hill, who has been with
the firm of j. Walter Thompson & Co. since
that establishment started seven years ago,
with two clerks and has grown to 35, and
therefore knows the business thoroughly,
that upwards of 5000, 900 year in advertis-
ing comes here from abroad. The English
advertisers, especially, are indefatigable in
reaching for our market. This is more no
ticeable every year. Several enterprising
Americans have established agencies in
London with American branches, and sew
ersl American houses have organized Lon
don and Paris branches These make q
specially of international advertising and
take in some $500, 900 of our money every
year.
English advertising differs in ssme re-
spects from ours. The English postal laws
are not so stringent as ours in respect to ad-
vertisements and you can stick an "ad" in
an English magazine anywhere. Philadel-
phia and Boston divide the greater part Of
the advertising business of the country with
New York.
CHARLES THEODORE MURRAY.