Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-04-05

antidote.. If problem confronts us,
what is the solution? There is not
much real satisfaction in listening to
lecture upon impending wrongs I'M
less the lecturer hands out the remedy
on the spot. For the evils complained
of in the foregoing bill Of particulars"
claim to have remedy, and a good
one. It is q certain specific-an unfail-
ing panacea. A bit of nausea is likely
20 accompany the administration of
the first dose or two, but as the patti
ent becomes accustomed to it he
learns to like it. II is this A strictly
paid up in advance subscription list
"No Money. No Paper"
Josh Billings once said; The best
time 70 set a hen is when she is
ready" A homely phrase, but brist-
ling with sound philosophy So. too
the time to collect a subscription is
when it is due-and it is due the min
ute The name is subscribed on the sub
scription book The time to stop a
subscription is when it has expired,
and it has expired when the time il
was paid for has expired. You say
this is very plausible in theory and
easy to put on paper, but it can not be
put into practice. 1t can. | do not
practice 1t. neither do YOU, perhaps.
/ BUT we ought to, every one of us. With
! that kind of a subscription list all of
these annoyances I have spoken OF
J Rrnlli1 1igannn1P apd thor, NU,.5tll hn
no subscriptions TO collect. An ideal
subscription list is one that shows paid
up every name on the list that ought
to be paid up. The exceptions are, of
course. exchanges, complimentaries to
the local clergy and friends, and to ad-
yertisers. The most of us have our
mailing lists in type. The date of eX-
PiratiOn should appear opposite every
name-and too much pains can not
he taken in changing the dates to cor
respond with the payments. Print this
on small colored slips: Your sub
scription will expire with the next
number, and unless renewed will be
discontinued. We will appreciate your
continuance" or something similar.
Every press day run through the dates
on your mailing list yourself and mark
with cross or other designation every
subscription that will expire with the
next number. 1t will not take you
long, and if you do it yourself you will
have, all the time, an approximate
knowledge of the condition of your
list. Then pass over your lists to the
boy who handles the mailing machine
ami instruct him to attach one of the
small cOlored slips to the margin of
all copies sent to the subscribers
whose names YOU have marked. BY
this method you give the subscriber
two weeks notice before he will miss
number, and if he does not renew
during the interval you have good rea-
son to believe that he does not want
the paper another year, and if he does
want it surely you do not want to
force it upon him. so you stop it.
Cash System Loses No Friends.
But what will you do with neighbors
and intimate friends who are quite
likely to resent such practice on your
part as an af ont to themselves, either
direct or implied? Some of them may,
and as a rebuke 10 you for doubling
their honesty or their ability % pay
when they get good ready may dis
continue, but they will return Make
your newspaper a better one than
your competitors. Make it well worth
the price you charge for it, and you
will hold your subscribers on a strictly
cash in advance observation-disclosures and
good friends included In the local
newspaper field more than in any other
does the survival OF the fittest" rue
apply.
If we must have delinquent subscrip-
tions know Of no hard-and-fast rule
for their collection. We must collect
them as other business enterprises
collect their just dues. BY personal
sOliCitation-the best way of all. per
haps: through an attoney-a very
rad system; or through a newspaper
collecting 1gency-a very, very bad
system. In August, 1894 ] gave a
newspaper collecting agency $522.5o
worth of delinquent subscriptions /
am not proud of it, but that does not
alter the fact Their charge is 25 per
cent of all sums collected Up to this
time they have collected S26015. less
than one half, and have received for
their service $65.37, leaving for me
S194.7S-all | have to show at the
present time for the original claim OF
$522.50. The remaining so per cent
they are threatening to sue. but the
delinquents are still Ion my list of sub.
scribers. | think can see the finish:
Dropped by the collection agency as
noncollectable. and dropped by me as
nonprofitable." Another lesson learned,
or rather, an old lesson warmed over.
BY our loose and haphazard methods
Of subscription bookkeeping we stand
to gain nothing and to lose great
deal With large subscription list