Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-31

struggling editor and publisher to use his
types and presses, his paper and ink, and
pay his printer and pressman to boom
the celebration for the good of the town.
1t seems not to occur to it that he is
subject to all the multifarious items of
expense which enter into other lines of
business; that he has his capital invested,
is giving his labor to. his chosen calling,
and therefore ought to be paid for every
service performed for others and the town.
He is expected to provide his income in
some mysterious way, put in large part
of his time, and devote great deal of his
resources to booming the town and I'd. um-
ming" up business for the other business
houses in the place. And if he is not
cheerful about it, there are hints of boy
colt, and murmur for an opposition pa
per, and unless he yields to this pressure,
perhaps some inexperienced person will be
tempted to come in and start second
paper in town which could not give
decent support to one.
For these unsatisfactory conditions the
fraternity has itself to blame. You can
not change human nature. 1t is pretty
much the same in every town. Free SER
vice from newspapers the public has had
so long that it has come to belief that
the town or the county has a proprietary
interest in them. 1t plays one paper
against another, and too often rival ed
itors or publishers lend themselves with
eager spirit to the game, giving away
much of their valuable space, cutting
their subscription rates TO price which
hardly meets the bare cost OF white paper,
and bidding down the public printing to
rates which are preposterously low and
ruinous.
1t is a part of our system of govern
ment that the people shall be advised of
the acts of their officials. To that end
the various states have made wise pro-
vision for the publication of certain mat
ters of public interest. The compensation
is fixed by law. Usually it is fair and
reasonable, and when the newspaper per-
forms the service contemplated by law,
it ought to receive the compensation
named by law; and would receive it if
editors and publishers would drop their
rivalries and regard each other as brothers
in noble guild rather than as unyielding
foes
If these gatherings of newspaper men
Of the northwest shall serve no other pur-
pose than the ultimate abolishment of
the ruinous practice Of doing county and
city printing for tithe of the just rates
Ava hxy I..xx, xx,;l I,a
times over all they have cost in time and
effort. If the various papers represented
here today could have, during the coming
years, that which the law allows them for
honest service, the financial condition of
those here today would be tremendously
improved, and their noble calling take on
new dignity and power.
Frank Carleton Teck read pleasing
verses of his own composition; Lovett M.
Wood spoke in humorous vein; G. w.
Gorham reeited dialect selection and
T. G. Nicklin kept his hearers wideawake.
discussing the Philippine question; the lib
erality of the Spokane Fruit Fair people
under the direction of Manager Bolster,
who enlivened the excursionists by his
presence, was appreciated by the visitors,
and the Washington State Band of Spo-
kane added much to the enjoyment of the
trip.
Election of Officers.
The Washington Association elected N.
w. Durham OF the Spokesman Review,
president; o. M. Moore, Seattle Times,
first vice-president; j. Hannum Jones,
Nooksack Reporter, second vice e-president;
+. r. Baker, Tacoma Sun, third vice
president; Will A. Steele, Post-Intelli-
gencer,y secretary-tr treasurer; Charles
Prosch, Seattle, historian; T. G. Nicklin,
Whatcom, orator; Frank c. Teck, What
com Blade, poet, and the following ex-
ecutive committee; l.. M.Wood, chairman,
Seattle Trade Register; Mrs. Minnie Sar-
gent, Pullman Tribune; C. M. Shultz, Ia
coma Ledger; T. ]. Bell, Tacoma Herald;
E. M. Day, Peoples Party News, New
Whatcom.
Delegates and alternates to the national
convention were also elected.
The following are the officers elected
by the Oregon Association; President, d.
NJ. Gault of the Hillsboro Independent;
first vice president, j. F. Stewart of the
Fossil journal; second vice-president, A.
N. Fisher of the Pacific Christian Advo-
cate of Portland; secretary, A. N. Tozier
of the Pacific Farmer, Portland; treasurer,
Fred T., Baker, Troutdale Champion; his
torian, A. Noltner, Weekly Dispatch,
Portland; sergeant-at-arms, G. B. Small,
Baker City Democrat. The following ex-
ecutive committee was elected; j. s. Del