Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-07-30
ADVERTISING IN
THE LOCAL PAPERS

Wesley A. StaUger, editor of the
Office Outftter. Chicago. recently made
an address, before a BODY Of retailers
in which he called attention to the
value of the local new spapsr He said
in part:
The local utwspspor is the great
est thing the retailer has If he will
use it right, but large proportion are
too prone to believe that the editor
will take care of their interests,
whether they look after his or not
This is wrong. II merchants as class
would only take advantage of the op-
portunities that the local newspapers
afford them they would reap rewards
far beyond their fondest dreams
While self preservation is the first
law Of nature, editors of local papers
have habit of letting self interest 20
to the limit when it comes TO a ques-
tion of serving the community. For
this they are entitled to recognition.
which they rarely receive.
No doubt the retailers have en-
| oouraged them as far as sentiment
goes. They have undoubtedly said
that they approved of the editors me-
thods and called him "good boy" " but
in how many cases have they fallen
short in the real encouragement that
counts: How often have they neglect
! ed to use his columns, thinking that
/ they were clever in il: In failing to
/ patronize him they have too often kill
ed the goose that laid the golden egg.
You must get behind your local
editor and push for all you are worth
He gives you % back for every dollar
you invest with him. He furnishes
for you at his own expense one of the
biggest assets you possess, the medium
through which to let the people know
what you have to sell. Within recent
years the mail order proposition has
been somewhat bothersome. The edit.
ors of the country papers have done
more than all other influences combin-
ed to win business back into normal
channels and to reconvert the farmer
to the logical belief in home trading.
'The country editor refuses TO take
profits from your enemy when the
enemy will pay him more than you
will. He refuses to accept business
from the mail order store IN the dist
ant city and even goes farther by tell
ing how superior the local store is to
the distant one and detailing the ad-
vantages of buying at home.
do not let it be said in your com
munity that you have let your editor E
work go unappIeoiated. Use his pap
er. Make him prosperous and yourself
rich doing it, If you have foolish
ideas about the nonproductiveness of
, newspaper advertising, throw them off
and try it out. One try will prove
nothing. II it is successful, so much
the better, but the constant use of the
paper in an intelligent manner will
produce the results.
"The best friend any business mar
in the world has. next TO his wife, is
the local newspaper, and if he dosn
get full value for this friendship it il
his fault, not the editors The editor
of the average so-called country paper
has done more to upbuild his town
and the retailers in it, than all other
Influences combined, and it also fol
lows that as an almost unbroken rule
he is the least appreciated person in
his community.
In conclusion Mr. Stsnger said that
the country newspaper man does not
ask for charity. but stands ready to
repay the merchant 500 per cent. or
every dollar properly spent in adver
tising