Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21

whoever has considered the present state
of things might conclude with certainty IS
to both the future and the past" To learn.
then, how many copies of the paper were
or will be printed tomorrow, the advertiser
will base his opinion upon the issue of yes
terday. Yesterday, however, Is a movable
date, and a directory editor cannot deal
with it, SO he strives to set down the num-
Der printed on every separate day Tor q
year or for six months. The number print
ed is what the directory editor wants, be-
cause that is known at the time and can be
set down then and there with no chance
for mistakes or oversight. The Star, 1T
seems, keeps a record of returns, or unsold
copies: possibly it may have a neighbor
VINO does not. yet that neighbor will claim
that its circulation figures are just as ex-
act, net, accurate, as any other. and the
advertiser will be inclined to believe him.
A successful country weekly "wets down
two reams"-that is $50 sheets. The edi-
tor finds that enough to supply the demand
and rarely knows to a certainty just how
many copies he actually sells. The number
Is probably about 800, but should he count
up and report 800 copies net, the adver-
tiser would not listen to his statement with
so much confidence as to the old-time Il wet
down two reams." Mr.. Kaufman is prob
ably wrong in supposing any publisher
ever prints a great many more papers than
he has use for He may take chances, and
sometimes, perhaps a pretty heavy per-
centage of papers comes back; but then, on
the other hand, by sending out his papers
would otherwise have bought another pa
per or gone without. There is much to be
said in favor of sending out papers freely.
Then for that matter what does the word
circulation mean? Turn to the Standard
Dictionary and read: Circulate-""To move
by circutous route back to the starting
point. Mr.. kauffmann's neighbors who
get their papers back. if there are any
such, might change that Only those copies
of The Evening Star that come back are
really circulated. By circulation the adj
vertiser means the number of copies print
ed. To attempt to tell more is to attempt
too much. If you tell how many you print,
your neighbors will tell how many come
back unsold and advertisers will judge ac-
cordIngy. Because copy of The Evening
Star is read more carefully and by more
people than copy of another paper is no
reason why The Star should state it's cir
oulation at 81, 1872 when it actually prints
5000 copies or more. Perhaps it would
help matters to substitute for circulation
the word edition.-Editor Printers Ink
Can "Prfnters' Inlx' BE Wrong:
From Printers Ink, August 10.
Commenting on the Washington Stars
method of deducting unsold copies, ex-
changes and other copies from its circu-
lation statements. making them net in
stead Of the gross number printed, as is
the usual way, Printers Ink recently ex-
pressed the opinion that The Star went
succeeding issue of Printers Ink Mr..
Kaufman of The Star combated this
view, to which Printers Ink again replied,
showing wherein his argument was defec-
tive. That Mr. Kaufman and many others
persist that The Stars view is correct is
evidenced by the letters here given:
1.-The Evening STAR
Washington, August s. 1897.
Editor of Printers Ink:
The Washington Evening Star begs you
to accept it's thanks for giving space to it's
communication on the above subject in
your issue of the 4th instant, and for the
tenor OF your comments thereon.
The Star is quite content to let the mat
ter stand just where it's letter and your
reply thereto leave it, not doubling that
your readers and the advertisers of the
country will be able to correctly judge
which is the true ard proper view of the
case.
What an Advertising Expert Thinks
About II.
From Printers Ink August IS.
Miller & Rhoads,
Dry Goods.
Richmond, Va, July g. 1897.
Editor of Printers Ink:
Replying to an article on "The Star At
tempts Too Much in your issue of July
u, would say that, in my opinion, what
the advertisers want TO know is the actual
number of papers sold, not the number Of
papers printed. An advertiser pays to
have his ad. distributed He asks of the
publisher, What is your circulation" and
in reply expects to be told the number of
papers actually distributed. Papers print
ed and not distributed are in no way bene-
fetal to the advertiser
The Washington Evening Star should be
commended for the honorable manner in
which it makes its circulation statement.
Very respectfully. G. S. YAEGER,
Advertising Manager.