The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-03
Topeka Merchants Save So, 900
on Advertising Crafts.
Turned That Business Over to
Commercial Club.
MR.. ROBINSON'S PAPER
Viii Show How the Plan Has
Worked.
He Estimates Saving Of About
$1,000.

The stand of the Commercial club
against so-calIed graft advertising
has saved those merchants in Topeka
who allied themselves with thecmove-
ment sum estimated to beNelose
around $4,000 during the past y44r.
The advertising COMMITTEES of the
club, which was the author of the mat
ter met this morning and some notes
were compared. J. W. Robinson, of
the RobinsOn-Marshall company, and
who is chairman of the committee.
announced that his afiliation with the
scheme had saved his firm a sum close
to $500 during the year 1905. The
majority of the biggest business con-
Germs in Topeka on Kansas avenue
were in the movement.
Fer the benefit of really getting at
the facts, Mr.. Robinson announced
that he was at work gathering up data
from various merchants on the subject.
He was instructed to embody all the
information he receives into "a paper
and read it before the next regular
meeting of the club, which will take
place on the night of January y.
The graft" advertising spoken of,
is that obtained for programmes of
various and sundries kind, and similar
minor publications. For instance if a,
church or school wants to give an en-
tertainment some one starts out with a
programme and asks merchants in the
city to advertise in it. The cost to
the merchants may run from one or
two dollars up to ten dollars. The
theory upon which the committee act
ed was that this kind of advertising
does no good and the money spent
therefor is wasted. Thereforesit vas
agreed by about fifteen of the mss-
chants in the city to band themselves
together and refuse to longer sub
scribe to such advertising To bal
anee up the thing the committee ask
ed each members of the agreement TO
subscribe a sum towards an adVertls-
ing fund to be held in charge by Secre-
tary Anderson Of the Commercial club
Then when some worthy organization
wanted advertising for its programme,
it was directed to Major Anderson,
who either just subscribed an amount
directly from the fund or paid Tor
the printing of the programme. me
scheme was remarkably successIu VI.
The men who agreed to stop this kind
of advertising remained firm to their
promise and were rewarded by the
results. Most of the big stores in
eaa8geka were benefited. E3lats saEeEaad
many of the smaller stores, not IN the
agreement were caught harder this
year on this kind of advertising than
ever before. Failing to get advertise
ments from the stores in the agree
ment, solicitors went to those who
were not members, and naturally the
demands upon these were both heav-
Ter and more frequent than usual.
Mr.. Robinson's paper promises to be
an "eye-opener." It will show that
where heretofore some of the big
stores in Topeka have been paying
from S4OO to $500 for advertising in
places where it did them practically
no good. they are now avoiding the
whole matter by paying $50 or SIS
into the advertising fund of the Conn
mercial club He will bring with him
data which he is now collecting from
all of the merchants in Topeka who
have kent tab on what they have spent
in such prOmiscuOus advertising He
will bring figures and reports from
merchants It will be real information
that he will furnish to the people who
come to the meeting.
The entertainment committee of the
Commercial club also met this morn
ing, and later had a joint session with
the advertising committee 1t was
agreed to merge the two committees
this wear. to be known as the adVertls-
ing-entertainment committee. An ex-
ecutive committee of five or seven
members. who are always available to
the chairman's call, will be selected to
act upon matters needing immediate
attention at any time.