Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-06-24
Gzi&GsEDszD
COOPERATION OF NEWSPAPER
AM MERCHANT.

AMI M6hO0ANl.
In a recent issue of the Commercial
Bulletin and Northwest Trade appears
the following article on The Merchant
and His Home Paper which is alike
interesting and instructive to the rep
resentative newspaper and the mer-
chant in the town that aspires to be-
come and remain a trade center:
For the good of the town n pro-
fit to themselves the relations of the
local editor and the retail merchant
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 prejudice, sometimes
it is a case of looking for trouble. The
result is the same. There is too lit
tie cooperation between the editor
and the merchant.
This may be partly due to the fact
thot IL hiSiS liz A1Aahy O"h o L
just learning the lesson of co-opera-
ton among themselves. Just finding
out that fighting their neighbor down
the street is not all there is to sue
cessful merchandising. Just beginning
to learn that there is more to be gain
ed in bringing more business to the
town than by fighting among them
selves for the trade which naturally
to it.
On the other hand editors are fire.
quently narrow in their policy and
n~eglectful of their business. They
may give too much time to politics
and too little to their real business.
that of publishing a paper and giving
their merchants the best possible ad-
vertising medium.
No merchant car enthuse over adj
vertising in a poorly printed, poorly
edited, and but partially circulated
paper which fails to bring results.
On the other hand no editor can en-
Enthusiastically work for a town whose
merchants are narrow-minded, whose
public spirit is below zero, who are
back-biting each other, whose idea of
business is tearing down their com
petitors. Such men care little for the
future of their town. They are too
selfish. They do not make successful
business men or successful towns.
The local paper and the merchant
are the principal factors in every
town. On them depends in a great
degree whether it shall progress OF
fall into a rut.
Then it is plain that no matter
what differences may arise over poll
tics, owe the school election, or the
numerous other little trouble makers
in the affairs of every town, the mer
chants and the local papers should
always cooperate for more business.
Every merchant who reads this
should follow it up with work to q
practical end. He should ask himself
a few questions such as these:
Can | make more money by doins
my part towards bringing more people
to this town to trade?
Even though l am Sore at the
editor, am I not standing in my owl
light in refusing to cooperate will
him?
II ] assist and encourage the editor
to push the circulation of his pape,
into that northeast district, will it no
result in more trade coming into thi.
town, of which I would get my share
Retailers Associations are eGucat
ing the merchant to campaign TO
trade along broader lines. The mex
thing is to bring the local editor int,
camp 's an allv.
The merchants Il 2 town should 1,
all they can for the editor. In tur,
they should insist that he give them
bright paper and push its circulation
into every possible nook and corne
of the territory from which they de
sire to pull trade. The town which
has h most widely circulating news
paper has the advantage in the fgh
for trade. Circulars ought not to b.
as good an advertising medium as tn,
local paper.
This is straight business. Polite,
school elections inc sensitive nature
should not be mixed in the relation
OF merchant and editor. Theirs shout,