The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-09-29
PUBLICITY FOR THE:
UNION; Says S7EL.zLE
Everybody Advertises- Some Ad-
vertise Who Has Nothing
Good to Dispose Of.
Unions Have Lots to Write About
and It Can Be Written
Well and True.

New York, Sept. 27.-Rev. Chas. Sickle
is comfortably lodged in his new head
quarters of the Presbyterian church
in this city, and In the future he will
conduct his work In behalf OF the
church and labor from Gotham.
His letter to the labor press this
week is about advertising the I'm
about as follows:
Everybody advertises. That is, ev-
erybody who has something to adver-
tise and who is really making things
go. Why should not the trades union
adopt this modern method Of exploit
alton. Some there are who advertise
and succeed, not so much because they
have good thing, but because they
can tell their story we'll and because
they tell 1T often and to the right peo-
pie. Trades unionism cannot only tell
we'll its story, but it has q good story
to tell.
Some time ago I saw a sign In a
store window which read: Our graft
fled customers are our best adver-
tisers." 1t will be observed that the
good which was to come from the ad-
vertising customers was not from the
fact that they would meet together
these who had already purchased
their goods In this particular store
to tell each other about the mer-
its Of the goods, valuable as that may
be, but 1t was expected that they
would tell others who had never made
their purchases In that store. The ap-
plication Is that the best results for tn
trades union will not come by meeting
week after week as sort of a mutual
admiration society, but by telling the
outsider who should know, just and
what the trades union movement
means, what It, has already accom-
plished and what it proposes to do.
There are two classes, in the main,
that are to be reached. First, the
non-unionist who should be in the un-
ion, and second. the general public.
The reasons for winning these are
obvious. 1t Is important also, to ed
ucate the great mass of employers.
Needless to say, the average working
man knows more about economic prob
lens than does his employer. But
there are employers who, realizing that
the union has come to stay, want to
know more about its true inwardness.
There are various ways In which this
advertising may be done. First OF all,
the membership in the trades union as
a whole, should be better informed
membership. Every trades unionist
should be ready to give a reason for
the hope that is In him.
Some central bodies have inaugurat-
ed lecture courses, not only for the
beefit Of the unionists, but for that OF
the public. Properly managed. this
may be made an exceedingly valuable
adjunct. Securing we'll known and
we'll informed speakers, and charging a
small admission fee-and such a course
would be sufficiently attractive to gain
the attention of the entire community.
especially If the matter is taken hold
of, not only by the officers and the
committee. but by the entire member
ship Of tho unions.
A means of publicity already to
hand is the splendid labor press, too
frequently neglected by those in
whose interests these papers are
printed. There is no better medium
for advertising than a first class la
Dor paper, and there are many such.
How these are to be gotten into the
hands of those who are to be won
must be determined by local condi-
lions, and the amount Of money that
may be spent for this purpose.
But why not begin a systematic.
aggressive advertising campaign in
the local daily papers and in the
magazines? Go at 1t In a business
like way-and keep at it. Lack of
space forbids going into further de-
tails, but good advertising man and
level headed trades unionist get
ting together on this job would man
out a campaign that would reduce
the expenses of organization and
make such organization very much
easier, the whole thing resulting In
great increase in the membership
OF the trades union, which resuit
would justify whatever expenditure
may have been involved, to say moth
ing OF the removal of the prejudice
against the trades union which Is
now only too common.