Amador ledger., 1902-06-27
A NOVEL POLICY.

dill ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Us Ol SOCldlS, les Ill
walls, etc, that are going on. All
such notices of entertainments will
be published one insertion free, as a
matter of news. After once pub
lished the news feature is destroyed,
and subsequent insertions will be
charged for al advertising rates.
Dispatch.
We find the above notice hoisted
at the mast head of our cotem-
porary, as statement of the policy
pursued by that journal in drawing
the line of demarcation between a
legitimate news item and an adver-
tisement. 1t is the most astonish-
ing announcement on that PROPOSE
tion that we have ever seen paraded
in the columns of a newspaper. We
do not believe it can be matched as
business proposition by any other
country paper in the land, 1t is in
fact public invitation along starva-
tion lines. 1t would be amusing in
its verdancy, were it not for the
disgraceful belittlement of noble
profession which its publication i'm
plies. Pressed to its logical issue,
it means that all future events, of
whatsoever nature, are items of
news to the extent of one insertion,
and as such are entitled to free in
sertion. A tax sale, a notice to
creditors in probate proceeding,
an ordinance of the board of super
visors, in like manner are items of
news, and on that basis should be
given free publication for one time
That is Just an entire transposition
Of the rules of the newspaper bIsi-
ness, one of the fundamental princi-
pies of which is that the first inser-
tion should be charged, for obvious
reasons, at a higher rate than SUBJ
sequent insertions. Why should a
merchants announcement of 80
per cent reduction sale be regarded
as an advertisement demanding pay
at so much per line, and a church
festival to take place in the future,
and at which an admission price is
to be charged, as an item of news
which the publisher is under obliga-
tions to scatter broadcast for
nothing. What would be thought
of merchant who would publicly
proclaim that the first order from q
customer would be filled free OF
charge, and only on subsequent
order would he expect an equiva-
,snt in coin2 Suppose all business
men l 6 town we're to adopt the
same rule, how long would the town
as business center survive the
ordeal? Such a policy would be
nothing less than business suicide.
Not one whit less suicidal is the
business item which we Gull from
our cotemporary, and which is
flaunted week after week before the
world as a sample of newspaper
wisdom. Is it to be wondered at
that the printing business is un-
profitable? No business could be
proftably conducted along similar
lines.
The truth is, every event in the
future, from the publishers stand
point, is in the nature of an adver-
tisement. No newspaper man
should be expected to announce any
kind of entertainment at which an
admission fee is to be charged free
of charge. 1t makes not the slight
est difference whether the proceeds
are to be devoted to church or chari-
table purposes or any other object.
If, in the opinion of those who are at
the head of the entertainment, its
announcement in the columns of the
local paper would tend to increase
the patronage, they ought to be
willing to pay fair value for the
services rendered. When the
columns of the paper are used for
the express purpose of bringing
revenue for any individual or organ
ization, the space used for that
object is an advertisement, and
should be paid for, no matter
whether it be used for the first or
the twentieth time.
While this is unquestionably the
correct rule, it has become Gus
tomary to relax it under certain
conditions, as the judgment of the
publisher may dictate. For in
stance, where the promoters of a
dance or entertainment send pat
ronage in the shape of job print
ing to the Office, a short notice
Of the Forthcoming dance or enter
tainment is published without
charge, as a matter of courtesy.
This was the course the Ledger had
followed for years, prior to its sale
by the present editor ia 1892. On
fesuming control, however, last year,