The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-15
The SONG OF
The SIREN
AN EXPOSE OF METHODS PUR
SUED BY HELENA RECORD.
in MATTER OF ADVERTISING
Publishers Of City Make Declaration
and viii Stand for No More Of
the Fleeing Process.

the Fleeing Process.
The undersigned newspapers Of the
city, which have heretofore mildly
| protested against the use of a Helena
publication as an advertising medium
for certain, business and professional
lines in this city, desire now to go
publicly on record as being opposed
to the piratical schemes which build
up a foreign newspaper at tine expense
of the home publications.
The home newspapers cannot pre-
vent merchants, and professional gen.
tlemen in this city from advertising in
the Montana Record, published at Hell
ena, but they can and will adopt a
course which will make those who
engage in the practice see the injustice
and disloyalty they are displaying to-
ward business establishments in this
city.
It has probably lev dawned upon
those who are in the habit of favoring
a Helena publication with advertising
that if the policy of continuing pat
ronizing the advertising pages OF out
Of-tOWn newspapers is continued, the
undersigned, through their own ef-
forts and the efforts of their friends
in the community, might bring about
a condition which would be akin to
a two-edged blade. That step, however,
would only be taken as a last resort
to break up the p%ernicious pirating
of the Helena publication in this
city on business which legitimately
belongs to local newspapers.
Those who are interested in the ma
terial welfare of the city and county
should put on their reasoning cap for
a moment and follow up the matter OF
advertising in a Helena newspaper and
apply it for the sake OF argument to
every other branch of business in this
city.
If advertising in a Helena newspa-
per on the part of Billings business
men shows the proper spirit toward
the town, why not send our money to
retail grocers, dry goods, clothing
and other merchants at Helena? They
r entitled TO it on the same ground
as is the Helena newspaper entitled
to advertising out of this community.
Why not, if a member of your family
is sick, send to Helena for a doctor?
Apply the same kind of dope" to all
this city and how quickly you can
bring about a total paralysis of every
business concern in this city. AND
yet tina, is the kind of doctrine many
gentlemen in this city are advocating
when they apparently, wilfully and de-
liberately plan to break down the bust
ness of the Billings newspapers.
The publishers are charitable
enough to think that the system which
certain gentlemen have allowed to be
built up to the manifest disadvantage
of home newspapers has probably been
done through ignorance than a
desire to appear in the role OF break
ing down established city business
concerns.
We desire here and now to say that
we demand fair treatment, and unless
that is given the publishers of the
city in the matter covered in. TINS arti-
Gle we propose to put On the gloves
and keep them on until hostilities
against Billings newspapers cease.
We do not mea by this to force peo-
pie to advertise in either of the under
signed newspapers, but we do pro-
pose to point out the foolish idea OF
Billings business land professional
men continuing advertising in a for
eign newspaper which has no interest
in the community beyond that OF
converting funds into illegitimate
channels.
We trust that this single article
will be sufficient to call a halt, and
that in the future the Helena publica-
tion will be told to sing the song OF
the siren at home.
THE BILLINGS GAZETTE.
By E.. H. Becker.
THE BILLINGS TIMES.
-
BY M. C. Norris.
pyv vo,1r uo1vot cilkc 1aoac chif.