The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-10
MONDAY. FEBRUARY 10, 1908.
Elevation il to merit what dress
In to handsome person.-Ln
Rochefoucnuld.
THE TOWNS OF VIRGINIA.

THE TOWNS OF VIRGINIA.
The Industrial Section of The Times
Dispatch has done Virginia a valuable
service in advertising and exporting
the progressive towns of the state.
In all sections-in Underwater, in the
souths!de, in the Piedmont, in the
Southwest, and in the valey--there
IRE many such towns, and they are
playing an active part in the develop
ment of trade and industry. That they
have not grown faster is due largely
TO tho fact that they have not heen as
energetic as they might have been. or
as they should have been. in making
their advantages known to the outside
world. Every progressive town should |
raise each year by public subscription
or by taxation an advertising fund and
employ IT judiciously. But, ike all
other good things. advertising should
begin at home The best advertising
medium of town is its home paper,
provided the paper be properly sus-
tanned \ good home paper. we'll
local advertisements. having the smile
of prosperity on it's countenance, and
well circulated, is in itself an index 10
the thrift and enterprise of the COM
munity 1t represents and an expression
OF the enterprising spirit of the people.
Il has now become an axiom of trade
that every community is Judged by
its newspaper. If the newspaper Is
dull and poverty stricken, the outsider
who sees it will conclude that 1T repre-
scnts a dull and thriftless community.
If on the other hand. 1t is live in all
it's departments, and shows that 1T is
well sustained, the outsider VIII judge
it's. constituency accordingly. And
usually it Is fair basis of estimate.
Nine times out of ten the local news
paper is a correct photograph Of the
town in which it is published and
from which 1t derives its support
This is matter which the people
OF every town should seriously con-
slider. They should bear in mind that
every copy OF the home paper goes out
as courier, with message to the
outside world 1t is for the people
to say what sort of courier it shall
be, and what sort of message it shall
carry. If the people proclaim to the
world that asGy WILL not sustain a
home paper, how can they expect the
world to believe that they will sustain
any other home enterprise that might
move in?
The money spent on the home paper
should be expended in subscriptions ant
Individual advertisements, for. as W.
have said, the paper should be an ad
vertisement in itself of the community
But the local paper Is necessarily lin
tied in its reach, and in addition tc
local support the town should appro
pirate a liberal fund for general adj
yertising in mediums which have
wider circulation. No town is too
large to advertise abroad. The larges
cities in the United states are the larg
A est advertisers, and II the cities fin
it necessary TO advertise, how muc
more necessary is it for the towns
d Wiiicn are not SO Weli KNOWN 10 90 Sc
These remarks may be construed b
some as self-interested in their dc
sign and application. In measu
that is true, for The Times-Dispatc
is an advertising medium, and one
the best for Virginia towns, as result
have shown. But whatever of selns
motive there may be in the article
5 merely incidental TO its general desig
which Is to aid in the upbuilding
the towns of the State. Each tow
knows its own advantages, and 1t
good business to make them known
The outside world through the be-
advertising mediums. If this is n,
true. there is no virtue in advertisin
and the millions of money spent in
every year are wasted.