The record-union., 1899-09-08

that has to do with the most tender
associations-the paper that is con-
scientious in its counsel, quick in its
defense of the weak and vigilant in its
pursuit and punishment of Wrong-the
sharer of the commonest Household Joy
or sorroW-the faithful recorder of local
happenings too little for the big papers
but of sufficient Importance to be
wanted by the local reader. The farmer,
the man of business, the mechanic,
takes that paper to read everything in
it, not excepting the advertisements. In
many cases it is the only paper for
which he subscribes and pays. Oftener
it is the one paper that two or more
families in a neighborhood join in pay
ing for and read and discuss together.
For these reasons it's columns will al
ways be in demand where enterprise
suggests advertising and wisdom sug-
gests the channel to be used.
This admitted why should the pub
Usher give the best space he has to sell
to the outsider who forever bears rates?
The patent medicine man, for instance,
is keen trader. He asks more for his
money than he ought to get, with the
assurance generally that enough pub
fishers in enough divisions of the State
will discount the value of their space
to secure for him a crying of his wares
on his own terms. Whose fault is it?
Surely not his. His business sagacity
would be seriously questioned if he
failed to take advantage of the present
go-as-y please business methods of
country publishers. 1t is a condition,
not theory that confronts us. It can
be changed to our advantage if pub
fishers will stand together and thus
lessen the Importance of the office of
the man who travels and makes con-
tracts for foreign firms. With united
action in the right direction on our
part the man referred to could not earn
MS salary and pay travelling expenses
out OF the money he saves to his en-
ployer IN the cut rates he secures. He
would md rates fixed. His talk could
not change them. Neither would it
take all form and comeliness out of the
paper by changing its makeup to give
some baking powder or liver pills ad.
the place nominated by good taste and
the reading public as the best for edi-
tor1al local or news matter. Two kinds
OF publishers block the way to reform
here. One is bent upon filing his col
umns with advertising at anv old nrice
| rather than lose it to a struggling con-
| temporary; the other is the alleged
journalist who with little credit at
the foundry and paper warehouses.
brings discredit to the calling he ar
tempts to carry on by blindly under
bidding on everything pertaining to the
printing business. The first named
| Sh0llId-
suaded that the fuller he Grams his
coluInhs with cheap advertising the
more he lessons the value of his paper
as an advertising medium. The otner
ieHoW-tne man who has no newspaper
sense and is usually denominated "a
loathsone contemporary"-w in good
tlme be gathered to the boneyard of
MS Klno and restoration of methods
1hat make for permanence and pros
per1ty will then be possible.
linen there is the agent to deal with
the man who assumes to be YOUR rep
resentatlVe in a transaction that Yields
MIN 20 per cent. and upward of the
proceeds where the pay is sood and
| pockets no loss for him where it is had
| sometimes he is a man of character
and capital; other times not You have
dealt with both kinds and know the
need of discrimination.
Ihen there are those who carry
printers material, ink, etc. When thev
can they pay their bills in supplies and
thus reap double benefit by adding
to their commission a healthy profit
| on their goods. 1t is my rule TO in
slst upon cash in all such cases. that
may buy where 1 please at the dis
count always to be had for cash. The
thrlft OF the agent, the ease with which
ne handles the newspa pers, has greatly
increased his number and destructive
competition prevails in consequence
Let us see how it works. For three
years had an advertisement published
IN special position, in my weekly only.
from firm in San Francisco. 1t was
4-Inch electro unobjectionable in ev-
cry respect For it, | received $50 a.
year. Before the third years contract
mad expired, word came from an agent
IN the city that the firm here cited
would hereafter do business with him: :
thdt L could continue the 4-inch ad. at
sou gross. In other words, I must
pay 20 per cent of what had previously
been a net sum to me by way of sim
pl1fy1ng the advertisers business but
in no way helping mine. Not to lose
the advertising entirely I accepted the
terms and for two years the arrange
ment continued. Then the same agen-
cy informed me that one inch less space
would be required and the rate must be
reduced co $3.50 gross. 1t was a
special position ad., mind you, one of
those top-of- column longside-reading-
matter fellows, we love so we'll.
kicked, but finally surrendered. and
these terms lasted two years. Then the
blow that almost killed father came.
It was anfoffer of $1S net for the same
service and was made in an effort to
compete successfully against a New
York agent who had persuaded the ad-
Vertiser that he was paying too much
In the light of this brief recital, and
your own experience along similar lines.
are you not prepared with Munsey to
say that the agent belongs to the ad-
vertiser and not to the newspaper: that
it is possible for the advertising agent
to do the business of the advertiser to
a great deal better advantage than the
advertiser can do it himself; that he
can handle the details at a saving to
the advertiser and in many ways assist
him. / see that the Munsey idea was
| indorsed by the publishers composing
the National Editorial Association at
the Portland meeting lately Speaking
of that meeting, / cannot forbear re-
peating here what Col r. H. Henry of
! the "Clarion-Ledger," Jackson Miss