The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-23

One va .-e ..1ss Interesting addresses
was made today was by Mrs. Whitaker of
The New England Farmer She chose for
her subject, Three ourths of a Century
In Farm Journalism, - and illustrated that,
as agriculture was the first occupation of
mankind, so its early papers were the
pioneer trade papers. Continuing, she
said:
IL is unfortunate that the agricultural press
has not been able to keep free from the modern
top-of-columD- next-to 10 reading nominations
and that the deforming blight of position adj
vcrtising gets in its work on all kinds of
papers.
The possible competition Of state and ma
tionai government should be noted here. Ex-
pertinent stations and boards of agriculture
now publish, at public expense, immense
quantities of periodical lite-rature-records of
experimeuts, crop reports and other instruc-
6ve matter; In at least one instance, these
bulletins are put In covers and numbered con-
~secutiyciy like . regular magazine. thus the
farmer can get much information at no ex-
pcnse. We have no evidence that this has
Injured investments Of private capital In
AGRICULTURAL papers; increased intelligence de-
xnands an increased amount of reading matter,
hence the circulation of agricultural papers
may be actually promoted by such q mass Of
free literature. Still this does not vary
the abstract merits Of gratuitous govern
mental publishing. How far shall tho free
soup idea be carried out?
Class journalism has one inherent difficulty.
Any conscientious newspaper publisher feels
she responsibility Of his position and has an
earnest ambition 10 help the world; at the
Uame time his newspaper is a commercial en-
terprisc, and he must make his missionary i'm.
pulses haYmonin with getting a circulation.
Fhfs at times is hard for any one, but II is
3oubly so On . class or trade paper, where the
fncome depends upon successfully appealing
90 the tastes and prejudices Of a single occu-
yation. The agricultural publisher has an
ether trouble peculiar to his work, because
She conservatism and isolated life of the
farmers make them at times lie ~ responsive TO
journalistic enterprise than some other classes.
They are often the most difficult people to
please; o bit of good work, which would bring
quick and large returns from other classes,
does not win equal rewards In farm jour-
nalism.
1t is sometimes asked whether the man.
moth, comprehensive daily will eventually
crowd the farm paper out Of existence. come
farmers, like some other people. think that
che most square inches Of printed paper for
the fewest pennies is the best bargain. But
the thinking farmer knows that his own paper
has an accuracy OF statement and a fidelity to
his interests which ann be elsewhere
secured. although he may want a daily paper
for the prompt summary of the world Is pro-
gress or the Days sensation.
With the increase of strength in monied
corporations, with later-day financial COM
binations and menopolies, with the great
dailies literally pasronized (and therefore
somewhat CONTROLLED by these powerful in
~iuences, the farmers will more and more
realize that thsir weHte.ng 10 intimately con-
nootsd with a liberal support Of their own
papers. They can hold tbdir own in the strife
of class interests only ~ maintaining in
theirs, o credit TO journalism and unquestion-
ably loyal TO their needs.