The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-07-03
Chief of Fire Department.
The Merchant and His Home Paper


The following editorial was printed
in the Commercial Bulletin and
Northwest Trade of recent date, and |
is we'll worth the careful considera-
ton of al progressive business men:
For the seed Of the town and profit |
10 themselves the relations of the To-
cal editor and the retail merchants |
in the average town are not what
they should be.
This is due to lack OF understand
ing by each of the work of the other.
Sometimes ignorance is responsible,
sometimes it is a case Of looking for
Trouble The result is the same.
There is too little cooperation be-
tween the editor and the merchant.
This may be partly due to the fact
that the merchants in many towns
are just learning the lesson of CO.
operation among themselves. Just
finding out that fighting their neigh
Dor down the street is not all there
is to successful merchandising. Just
beginning to learn that there is more
| to be gained in bringing more bust
ness to the town than by fighting
among themselves for the trade
which naturally comes to it.
On the other hand editors are fire.
quently narrow in their policy and
neglectful of their business. They
may give too much time to politics
and too little to their real business.
that of publishing a paper and CIV
ing their merchants the best posi-
Bile advertising medium.
No merchant can enthuso over adj:
yertising in a poorly printed, poorly
edited. and but partially circulated
paper, which fails to bring results.
On the other hand, no editor can
enthusiastically work for town
whose merchants are narrow-minded,
whose public spirit is below zero,
who are backbiting each other, whose
idea of business is tearing down their
COMPETITORS Such men care little
for the future of the town. They are
!, too selfish. They do not make sue.
, cessful business men or successful
towns.
The local paper and the merchants
are the principal factors in every
; town. On them depends in great
: degree whether it shall progress OF
fall into a rut.
Then it is plain that no matter
: what differences may arise over poll
h
l numerous other little trouble max
l ers in the affairs of every town, thu
: merchants and the local paper should
e always cooperate for more business
Every merchant who reads thi
: should follow it up to a practical end
e Hhe should ask himself a few ques
: tons. such as these:
e Can I not make more money b.
S doing my part toward bringing NOR
# people to this town to trade?
:. Even though I am sore at tn
t editor, am l not standing in my owl
r light in refusing to cooperate wit
l. him?
d If assist and encourage the edito
= to push the circulation of his pape
e into that northeast district, will
2, not result in more of that trade CON
n ing to this town, of which l woul
o get my share?
d Retailers associations are educa
S. ing the merchant to campaign 10
II trade along broader lines. The mex
S. thing is to bring the local editor int
y camp as an ally.
81 The merchants of the town shout
a do all they can for the editor. l
Of turn they should insist that he Civ
them a bright paper and push II
is circulation into every possible moo
e. and corner of the territory frol
If which they desire to pull trade. III
d. town which has the most widely CT
of culated newspaper has the adva
I'd tage in the fight for trade. Circular
re ought not to be as good an
to vertising medium as the local pape
~ This is straight business. Polite
lg school election. and sensitive n
ed lures should not be mixed in the T
I'd lations of merchant and editor. Thel
ne should be a straight business allan
h for more trade.
k.