The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-18
Will ELIMINATE
DIRECTORY FAKES
Association Discusses Plans for
Pushing Movement Against
Unreliable Publishers.
TO ELECT OFFICERS TO-DAY
Various Propositions for I'm
proven1cnt OF Directories Con-
sidercd by Members.
-

Delegates to The annual meeting OF
the Association OF American Directory
Publishers, who have made the gath
cring of statistics of cities and States
such an exact science that their call
ing may we'll be called u profession.
assembled In parlor A OF the Jefferson
Hotel yesterday morning TO DISCUSS n
number of matters pertaining 10 the
welfare Of their organization. twenty
or more members were in attendance
at the opening session, and others are.
expected to he here to-day
Possibly the most important matter
to be considered was brought ont III
the opening statement Of President w.
IL. Lee, of New Haven, Conn. who
called tho meeting to order. Mr.. Lee
stated that problem of vital interest
to the directory publishers. and OF
scarcely less Importance TO the p'ib-
lie at large was the elimination OF
directory fakes or books purportlng
to be city or State directories which
are issued solely for advertising pur-
poses.
No Heal Value.
These books as a rule stated the
president have no real value as n
compilation OF names or statistics, since
4
reliable data for such information.
rho books, thercforc. are short
" thrown aside. or IL used for mailing
lists or for directory purposes, entail
mn actual loss 10 the user through
their Inaccuracies and INSTRUMENTATION.
For the same reason these rake al
rectories, stated the president. Would
prove OF little real value to tho adver-
tiscr. since they would be little used
MA ..nr,y ti,rn,un "a ard would nave
no standing with the user for rellahil-
ity and accuracy, either in their In
formation columns or advertising pages.
An Informal discussion OF this ques-
zion took place just after the formal
opening of the convention. and the
transaction of routine business.
Several delegates read carefully pre-
pared papers, while others made In
forming talks, many asking intellt-
gent questions, which gave to the
whole discussion the air Of n debate
rather than OF an assembly. The In
terest In the question was manifest,
and the greater part of the DAYS seq
sion was taken up with various
phases of this problem.
Bureau Of Exchange.
Another question which provoked
discussion and presented various
sides was the occurring OF competent
men TO gather and compile directory
statistics, one of the delegates propos-
ing an elaborate plan. which greatly
interested those present. for licensing
competent and experienced men. and
providing bureau Of exchange
through the executive committee OF
the association. whereby trained en-
ployes may be swapped from ono d.
rectory publisher 10 another.
rr>l< p,,
plicant shall have satisfactorily learned
the business under any directory pub
Usher he shall be listed as a conlpe-
tent gathcrcr OF statistics. and given
n certificate to that effect. Many OF
The smaller publishers operating di-
rectories for only one or two towns
annually employ their canvasscrs for
only a few weeks in the year. just pre-
vious to issuing their annual volume.
Other members of the association have
developed large publishing businesses,
Issuing the vo1ume.s for n long string
of cities, and emp oHnlg their cam
vassers by the year, moving them
from city to city as the work pro-
crosses, and issuing their books at diff
ferent periods OF the Year Mr.. r. l.
Polk, member of the executive COM
mittee. talked interestingly OF. this plan
of campaign, saying that he had the
twenty cities In Michigan And nearby
States, the books being issued at vari-
Gus local printing offices under the
direction of Mr.. Polk's army of can
vassers.
Improvement OF Directories.
Other subjects presented were the
Improvement of city and State di'
rectories by the interchange OF ideas
and the compilation by the executive
committee OF the association of tabu-
lated comparative statistics, whIcf
might be published simultaneously II
various city and State directories fo
nurposes of comparative review.
. IT is possible that the associatloT
may complete its business tonight
and spend tomorrow at the James
town EXPOSITION. The first business
ri this morning will be the election
OF officers, the present board OF ON
c,aIs being w. H. Lee, of New Haven
Conn, presidents; a. W. Wtlliams, O
Cincinnati, o., vice-president; W. Z.
Bates. of New York, secretary, and =
ss I.udwell Hill. OF Richmond, treasurer
The association yesterday elected
4hei following board of trustees: w.
4 Murdoch, of Boston. Mass; r, II. Don
nelly, of Chicago, Ill, a.. Y. Williams
of Cincinnati. O.; ]. L. Hill, of Rich
lnond, Va: r. Il. Polk, of Detroit
q Mich; w. Fl. Bates, of New York;sN
III. Lee. of New Haven, Conn.,, and %
Nj. Gould. of st. Louis. Mo.
No session of the. convention wa
held last night. and the evening VII
spent in various forms of social en-
ioymcnt.
SERIOUS CHARGE.
( j. Z ! n u L.