San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-10-14
Advertisers Organic alton
By Z. w. SEARS
From the London edition of Printers Ink.

found more difficulty in keeping
pace with the developments of
artistic advertising than their
competitors in America, for
reason that the better class of
English daily and weekly papers
have set their face against display
type and blocks so firmly that it
has been impossible to overcome
their prejudices.
While there are a great many
excellent publications in England
that will accept blocks and permit
display type, it is nevertheless
true that many of the papers
which all advertisers feel they
must have, still insist upon their
oldfashioned methods and setting,
which prevent any originality or
dissimilarity in the appearance of
the advertisements.
This action on the part Of the
papers amounts to barrier like
the Chinese Wall in the case of
any further development of mod.
ern advertising methods in EGG.
land, and unless it can be over
come it is difficult to see. how the
present system of advertising can
be much improved.
To be sure, the newspapers have
arguments on their side of the
question, but it IS possible to
produce newspapers from
America which far surpass in
typographical appearance any
newspapers published in England,
which not only accept blocks and
display type, but which encourage
their use.
II is not intended in this article
to make invidious comparisons
between the American land Eng.
lish newspapers, except for the
purpose of proving correctness OF
the statements made.
1t is believed that If advertisers
were to adopt the same theory OF
self protection which labor and
other business interests frequent
ly adopt when rightful prerOga'
tives are endangered, that a radl-
cal reform in this direction could
be secured.
Let the representatives. of adj
vertising houses meet in convent
ion and organize a society or
union for the purpose of harmon.
ious and concerted action.
To inaugurate this movement it
would only be necessary for a
call to be issued to the advertising
public, which should be signed by
half a dozen leading general ad.
vertisers, and generally circulated
private ly, or through the press,
inviting CO operation.
1t is believed that were such a
call to be issued, Endorsed by the
names of influential advertisers,
that convention could be
brought together, composed of
advertisers in all parts of the
kingdom, which would represent
an annual expenditure of at least
half a million pounds sterling in
newspaper advertising alone.
Any action takeu by such a
powerful organization as this
would prove, would, of necessity,
force four. fiftbs of the newspapers
antagonistic to tb e reforms recon-
mended to accede to the COM
mands of the convention. 1t is
possible that a few papers like
the Times and Telegraph might
be able to stand out against the
organization, but nearly all the
country papers would fall into
line, and a large proportion of the
London dailIes and weeklies.
No great reform in this direction
Will ever be accomplished except
through the medium of some pow.
erful organization, inaugurated
on behalf of the advertisers, and
inasmuch as the interests of ad
vertisers are so seriously hazarded
by this refusal On the part OF the
newspapers to progress with the
times, it would seem reasonable
that they should see the adj
vantages of a movement on lines
similar to those suggested here
1t is singular that any branch
of business which annually spends
millions of pounds in a similar
direction should not have some
ono.nniuntinn tn