Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-06-29
EDITORS BANQUET
Southeastern Iowa Association
Members Are Guests at Dav-
export Commercial Club.
MEDILL MCCORMICK SPEAKER
Chicago Tribune Publisher Tells q
Troubles of Big Daily-Unique
Dinner Programs.


Dinner Programs.
The Southeastern Iowa Editorial as
sociation which is in session this week
in Davenport, was rendered a banquet
last evening at the Davenport Com
mercial club. In addition to the mem
berS of the association and the Dav-
enport committee members, there were
present number of the members of
the Tri-City Press club from Rock IS
land and Moline, representing the
newspapers of the two cities. Thel
visitors and their ladies, to the NUM-
Der of over 100. were served in the
large banquet hall of the club house.
Unique Menu Cards.
One of the pleasing features of the
affair was the unique character of the
dinner programs and menu cards Att
each place was what appeared to b.
and was labeled sample copy. On
investigation this was found to be a
sheet with the menu on one side ami
surrounded by reproductions of the
front page headings of the newspape :
and weekly publications of the three
cities, the following being represented:
The Davenport Democrat.
Der Demokrat Davenport.
The Davenport Times.
The Rock Island Argus.
The Rock Island Union.
| The Catholic Messenger.
| The Trident.
| The Moline Dispatch.
| The Moline Mail and Journal.
| The Volks-Zcitung Rock Island.
| The Iowa Reform.
| During the dinner two newspaper
| carriers rushed into the room, and
with cries of "Extrie, EXtrie", distribu-
ted among the guests neat souvenir
editions of the Scott County Democrat
and Leader. The edition, termed the
clubhouse special" contained wit :;
articles on the convention and three
cities, attractively illustrated wit:
comic sketches.
| Back to Gutenberg.
Hon. Henry Vollmer presided az
toastmaster and extended to the YlS
itors a hearty welcome. CONTINUING
his remarks. he referred to the vaSt
difference between modern publishing
and that devised by Gutenberg. Speak,
ing of the development of the news
paper, he referred 10 the yellow daili -
l L toI l,. h. tt,yo ln.-
of Gutenberg would be preferable t.
| an age of such publications.
Il The address was ably responded I,
t by J. l.. Long of the Osceola Sentinel
{ president of the association.
ii Tribune Publisher Heard.
? Medill Mccormick, publisher of TIL
I Chicago Tribune, was the principa
t speaker of the evening, responding L
the toast, "The troubles of metro
l. politan newspaper. Mr. McCormiC
e in a happy manner spoke of some O
4 the difficulties of publishing big me
: ropolitan daily. He diverted from nj
subject somewhat, and discusse
newspaper revenues, incidentally stat
| ing that he has 700 men on his payroll
and that wages have increased II p-
cent during the last year, and that h
carries $4,000 accounts of uncertai
| value.
Mr.. Mccormick held that the new!
papers are not keeping pace with tn
magazines in business methods, an
that while the newspaper is not 10
= ing it's influence, the magazine is fal
gaining greater influence. He urge
that the newspaper publishers a
with an understanding that the publ
cations revenues are dependent abs
llutely on its service to the communit
with "UncIc By.-
Byron Williams, editor of the Wes
- ern Publisher of Chicago. entertaine
er the company with one of his deligf
IL full visits with Uncle BY >" his tai
II. being a characteristic one similar
his familiar writings. Mr.. William
ta formerly was employed on tri-ci
newspapers, and his appearance at Il
function last evening was most appr
pirate.
G. Logan Payne, special represent
tive, of Chicago, responded briefly
y the toast. "The value of the small
J daily and weekly to the foreign adv'
80 tiser as compared with the metrop
- itan daily" AS the subject was one
~ no interest to the ladies', Mr.. Payr
bo out of courtesy to them, did not ent
into any extended discussion of t
subject.
Newspapers of Iowa.
nc David Brandt of Iowa City told
"a Iowa and its newspapers" His ia
IN. was of a reminiscent character, a
of included interesting bits of history
oe the press in the Hawkeye state.
E. M. Sharon of Davenport spo
al, briefly, urging greater independen