Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-23
A Circulation Fakir

E certificate of the circulation experts o. the As
sociation of American Advertisers is universally
regarded as the highest and the most universally
accepted evidence of the circulation of newspaper that
it is possible obtain This association only issues its
certificates of circulation newspapers after the most
exhaustive and careful examination Of their circulation
books by of its experts.
The association is composed of of the largest
advertisers America and when its expert examines the
circulation books of newspaper and the association
thes to the amount and character of that circulation this
certificate accepted by advertisers all over the world
without question.
Nearly a year ago The Herald, the Times
and the Express signed an agreement TO submit
their circulation books TO examination by an en-
pert of the Association of American Advertisers,
provided the Los Angeles Examiner would do
the same This the Examiner refused TO do.
After the Examiner had refused to join the other lead
ing daily papers of Los Angeles in securing the highest
possible evidence of their circulation for the benefit of
the advertising public The Herald still with the idea OF
forcing the Examiner to open its circulation BOOKS 10 a
vertisers posted $500 the First National bank of this
city and published challenge to the Examiner offering
pay all the expenses of investigation of its and the
Examiners circulation books if such an examination did
show that The Heralds paid circulation in the city
of Los Angeles exceeded that of the Examiner by 2O9o.
This challenge the Examiner refused to accept just
had refused to accept the proposition to open It's
books to the expert of the Association OF American Ad
vertisers.
Notwithstanding this refusal the Examiner has
tnued to publish of its circulation and par
ticuary of its gain during the past year in circulation
based better evidence than the certificates OF its
own employees which, of course, evidence at all
Advertisers Los Angeles who read the Examiner
will remember that time ago that paper published
series of certificates by A. A. Seaver, who signed
himself Circulation Expert These certificates did not
pretend show the total paid circulation Of the Exami
its character, but addressed merely to show
ing the alleged gain in circulation of the Examiner dur
ing the year preceding the date OF the certhcates he
alleged circulation expert Seaver stated in his cert-
that they based upon examination OF the
Of he
Finally the other papers, including The Herald that
had endeavored to induce the Examiner to submit It's
books to examination by the expert OF the Association OF
American Advertisers arranged Tor that expert 10 VISIT
Los Angeles and examine their books with the intention
that he should issue certificate to each OF them certify
their average circulation tor the twelve months past
When the matter of the experts examining
the Examiners circulation books was PUT up TO
the Managers of that journal, they announced
that they would permit him to examine their
books for Sfx months past, but that they could
not 1IlozV him to examine the books for the past
year. for the reason ftattEleir circulation records
for the past year in their office we're nor complete.
This statement was made be it borne in mind,
nottviths standing the fact that few weeks before
the Examiner had been publishing certificates of
alleged circulation by Expert Seaver showing the
increase in circulation of that paper for the past
year.
Inasnuch as the Examiner would only submit its cir
culation books for the past six months to the examna
ton of the expert he only made an examination for the
like period OF Inc Herald, Ine lines anu EXPRESS
Since that examination made certificates have been
issued by the Association of American Advertisers to
those papers and to the Examiner showing its results
The Herald has published Photographic facsimile OF
the certificate issued to for the benefit of the advert
ing public The Examiner has far refrained from
publishing that certificate.
We noac challenge it to publish the certificate
eiUen it by the officials of the Association of
American Advertisers setting forth its actual
paid circulation and the character thereof, which
certificate was given the result of the exGnrin
alton made by the Association S expert a feEc
zoeekS ago.
The Examiner it to the advertising public to
furnish that public with the highest evidence that it is
possible for it to subsantate its claims of cir
cuation 1t knows that the certificate of the Assoca-
ton of American Advertisers is the highest evidence with
which any newspaper back up its claims of crcua
ton This certificate is worth more to the advertising
public than thousand certificates from its
ployes such as it has been publishing intervals since
the first of January The Examiner has this certificate
in its possession. Will it publish it?