Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-04
VALUE OF PRESS
CLEARLY PROVED
SUSPENSION OF NEWSPAPERS AT
BUTTE REVEALS TRUE WORTH
TO PUBLIC
BUSINESS is AFFECTED

Absence Of Advertising Seriously Ham
pered Trade conditIons-Stores
Empty and Shows Play to Vacant
Chairs
Probably never before in this
country has the value Of newspaper
to community been more forcibly ex-
pressed than in Butte, Mont, some
few weeks ago, when labor troubles
caused every newspaper in the city
to suspend publication for over five
weeks" said Arthur B. Railey. New
York broker, who was in Ottumwa
last night on his way home from an
extended tour of the northwest. 1T
is difficult for people to comprehend
what it means to be deprived of q
newspaper" continued Mr.. Railey.
For thirty-nine days following Feb
ruary IS no daily papers were printed
in Butte, and by reason OF this sus-
pension publishers and advertisers had
an opportunity to exactly ascertain
the value of advertising And the diff
flculty was due to question of wage
scales, in which printers, pressmen
and stereotypers were involved. These
employees sought more wages and the
trouble was finally settled by a COM
promise, in. which both sides made
concessions.
"No matter how serious was the re-
suit of the strike, it served Its pur-
pose and American business men and
publishers have gained somewhat Of
an idea as to the true value of the
newspaper. It affored an opportunity
for serious thought and reflection, and
it had it's good features as we'll as
the bad ones.
Butte is a city Of 10000 people.
and has four daily papers the Butte
Miner, the Butte Intermountain, the
Butte Evening News and the Anacou-
da Standard, all running from eight
to thiry-two pages. The last named
is printed twenty-eight miles from
Butte, but it Is regarded as Butte
newspaper.
Advertising Was Heavy
Butte merchants are unusually
space consumed by them amounted
to hundreds of columns month. AS
Is we'll known, wages are high in that
country, and in Butte the pay roll OF
the city is greater than that Of other
cities with twice the population. Thus
1t will be readily seen that compete
ton is keen, and the merchants are
naturally liberal advertisers. A good
illustration of the amount of adver
Using done in Butte is found in the
Christmas editions Of the papers
which were among the largest issued
in this country, and which contained
volume of advertising that would
be a credit to the dailies in the big
eastern cities. The strike followed
close on the heels Of the holiday bust
ness, and Just at a time when the
merchants could Ill afford to be with
out advertising mediums. Little
thought was given to the matter when
the papers first suspended, and it was
fully a week before the absence of q
newspaper began to make itself felt.
Some Of the Difficulties
"Ten days after the papers suspend
ed difficulty after difficulty began to
beset the city. Political conditions
were the first to suffer- 1t was found
that candidates for office in the NUM-
cipal election, which was near at
hand, could not qualify for the nomi
nation, unless properly advertised !;
political conventions, under the state
laws, could not legally do business
without certain advertisement Fur
thermore, successful candidates could
not hold Office, because of the forego-
ing conditions. It was strike that
threatened to affect social conditions
more seriously than ever. 1t served
to emphasize the Importance of the
press in carrying out the state laws
and aiding in the movement Of govern
mental machinery
"A small weekly paper was leased
by the politicians of one party and is.
sued daily. All Of its space was used
in advertising the filing of nomina.
tions, notices Of primaries and cunyen-
tons Of all parties. The government
used it to advertise federal legal no.
tees, private corporations wanted to
utilize 1t, banks and other concerns
with whom it was imperative that
certain business notices and state
ments be published, besieged 1t on all
hands and the little sheet was swamp.
ed with business. Thus will be seen
the value of newspaper from this
viewpoint.
Stores Were Empty
1T remained, however, for the man
In business to become more impressed
with the Importance of the press. Fol.
lowing the newspaper shutdown a
strike OF the miners was threatened
which caused much uneasiness. This
was speedily adjusted, however, and
many merchants unacquafnted with
the value of Newspaper advertising
were not as yet convinced that 1t was
indispensable to success in business.
Day after day and week after week
the stores were practically empty
With spring coming and Easter only
few weeks off the leading stores OF
the city became thoroughly alarmed
and began to lay off clerks. One de.
partment store laid off so per cent OF
its clerks. The president of another
department store acknowledged that