Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-06-13

| D4uA Aho" VI II. DUH mdu dut
sorry"
Telegraph and telephone messages in
language conveying meaning similar
to that are painfully common nova
days.
Why?S
Let ME point out two facts which
explain most of the anger, unprintable
language and disappointments result
ing from trains missed.
Previous to the appearance of the
anti-pas laws, state and national, ten
thousand papers printed railroad time
tables. One or more papers was found
in nearly every house 1t was then an
easy matter to keep posted as to the
comings and goings of trains in which
one was interested. 1t is not so, now.
The laws in question prohibit rail-
road companies from granting to edit
ors and publishers passes and all other
forms of transportation except paid
for with cash. Since then newspaper
men, of all classes, have paid fare the
same as others.
For men who, all through their BUSH
ness and professional lives had ridden
on passes or mileage tickets which
We're paid for by the timetables and
other advertising in their papers the
change proved a hard bump. Railway
officials spent much time in their Off
ces and in conferences in endeavors to
have the laws construed in such a way
as to enable them to arrange with
the newspaper men as they had been
doing for years. That is, give trans
portation for advertising the publica-
tion of timetables and other notices
State and national editorial associa
lions joined the railroad people in
their efforts to bring about such an
arrangement, but each and all of Their
efforts failed. They were told that
the laws would not allow 1t.
No one editor, publisher or those
unfortunate enough not to have news.
paper connections, can honestly say
that it is the fault of the railroad com.
panies that newspaper men are de.
Iprived of the right to buy transporta-
ton with space in their papers, or
claim that the railroad people have not
industriously and earnestly sought a
way by which they could continue
methods which were satisfactory to
both clases-the newspaper and rail.
road men.
When hope WAS gone--wheh the rail-
raod companies had met with a def.
mite defeat in their efforts in behalf of
their old friends, the newspaper peo-
pie, large proportion, in some states
nearly all of the newspapers ceased
to print the timetables and other
notices.
Wisconsin is one OF the states In
which there was pretty nearly clean
sweep of timetables from newspapers.
Was It the part of wisdom, was 1t
good business. was 1t square deal for
patrons and exactly the right way to
treat the railroads?
Let us see.
Because most newspaper patrons are
to a greater or less extent acoommo
dated by timetables and other train
news, Is evidence that 1t was not
wise, good business or a square deal
for the patrons of papers.
And how about the railroad com
|panies? Was II treating them right,
under the circumstances? or course
there is division of sentiment; but
when one recalls the fact that the
companies have passed editors and
publishers their families and In most
cases the employees OF the Office not to
mention fathers, mothers. brothers,
sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins
usually far more than paying for the
time table space In the paper. when
one recalls that II was not the fault
of the railroads but the action of
state legislatures and congress that
took away transportation and that
the companies did their best to get
a favorable construction placed upon
the laws. one can but feel that IL was
not square deal for the railroads
that II was not lust the right way to
treat an old friend -,hc for fifty years,
more or less, had treated very gen
erously the editors and publishers "a
A few lines-half an jnch--would
be sufficient. in majority OF cases
TO tell the story. II would be space
well used IL would accommodate
nearly every patron at one time or an
other; it would head of a lot OF bad
talk by parties who hadn't heard OF
a change and missed trains. and IT,
would be making good In the matter
Of overpayments railroads have
made 10 nearly every paper In the
state, not to mention the whole coun.
Try,
Lest some one or more may say, he