The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-11-19
BIG EFFORT TO BOON THE souri,

- true that this letter is lengthy
Out We can see none of If tb.. -
Oe omitted If there is a single m,s.
statement we invite the severest con-
hanon from the creators Of nrh
"' opinion. If, however. what we saw
Is correct and the conclusion is hasod
upon reason, then we EXPECT cam
-paign Of publicity by the pub,i.bor.
OF southern periodicals that Will, nro.
claim once for all the oneness If
southern thought in expecting q qra.t
rush OF development.
Al the outset We intend to din righ+
INTO circulation figures. To nrova
WHAT! That southern publishers are
one With southern bankers. manufac-
'u'eIs' merchants, farmers. etc. in
not enjoying ali the traffic the rich
eii1s OF the south should bring them
ine following circulation fguras
are eye-openers as to an undeveIoned
south Figures are from Chesman,s
Rate Book, 10000
ALABAMA has not a single daily or
sunday paper that sells $1,000 COMES
yet Alabama's coal field alone is lust
about the size of Massachusetts In
Massachusetts there are sixteen dali
lies with more than 10000 circulation.
Arkansas-rich in everything that
can make a great state-has lust one
daily with more than 10000 circula-
ton.
Florida has not a single daily with
10000 circulation.
Glorious old Georgia has only five
dailies running over 10000. Its high
est mark is 1861.
Louisiana has six, because of New
Orleans
Maryland has seven, because of Bal
timore.
Mississippi. North Carolina. South
Carolina and West Virginia have
none
Oklahoma (20 years Old has three.
Virginia C122 years old has three.
Tennessee has only seven and the
giant state of Texas only eleven; and
of these eleven not one goes above Co.
600.
Look at it another way, and then
follow US further-in the 100000
square miles of the south, there are
just ffty-three (53) dailies or Sun
days that run over COCOON the ga
GOO square miles of Ohio. Pennsylva-
MIA and Massachusetts there are sew
enty-four C74.) Say it loud, SEVEN
TY-FOUR!
What is the answer? Just folks,
who can read. Circulation men may
persuade readers this way one year,
ONLY 20 lose them next year 10 4 more
persuasive offer; but thai does not
make more folks. Ii is JUST like shift
ing money from one pockc. 10 anoth-
or and calling it prosperity. Guess
ing contests, ''prettiest teacher" COM
petitions. Mr.. Raffles" performances
are ali picturesque-and sometimes
amusinE-and temporarily helpful.
but they do rot reach down 10 the ba-
sic difficulty in southern circulation.
What We need is folks who can read
and want TO. Give us those aud the
fixed charges on a paper will almost
stand still while the circulation jumps.
These statements and the Honclu-
sion are either true or false. There
is no midway. If We are talking ah-
surdities we ask no further reading
II we are talking truth then We beg
a few moments more of your tire.
Papers cannot live without readers
Cunless the circulation is for the de-
ception of advertisers, and based on
the principle "once a reader, always q
reader" whether the reader pays
again or mott
Farms CduuOl DC NuANAfSe~N '-~--
out labor. Very few realize that only
twenty-five C25) acres out OF every
hundred QOO) in the south are under
any sort of cultivation. We talk en-
Enthusiastically about southern agricuL
ture and we are right; for its limits
are beyond our ken-if there are
folks.
Factories cannot be run without
hands. Do you realize that Rhode Is
land-smaller than some of our south
ern counties-has more manutactur
ing activity than any one of the south
eru states-omitting Missouri? We
know that the south is to be a grea'
manufacturing region-some day! L
is only folks, and lots Of them, tha'