Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-01-21
BOOSTING DALLAS.

BOOSTING DALLAS.
The Observer heartily agrees with
the Itemizer in the suggestion that
when the citizens of Dallas get ready
to do a little boosting, they will find
two well-equipped boosting plants
right here at home. No town in Ore
gon Of equal size has better printing
plants than are to be found in Dallas,
and it might be added that there is
machinery and equipment in this town
that cannot be found in many towns
twice or three times as large as the
county seat of Polk. II illustrated
booklets are needed, they can be had
in any quantity and quality right here
at home, at prices lower than can
possibly be quoted by any high-rent
city office. If reliable information is
wanted as to the opportunities, re-
sources and advantages Of Polk Coun-
ty it can be found every week in the
two newspapers printed in Dallas.
Speaking for himself, the writer de-
sires to say that for the last eighteen
years he has been boosting Dallas
not only boosting it in the columns of
his paper, but digging down into his
jeans and contributing cash to every
public improvement and industry; do
ing not only that, but quitting his
business for days at a time and tramp
ing up and down the street soliciting
subscriptions from others And it af-
fords him a certain degree of salts
faction to be able to say that he usu-
ally got the money he started out to
raise. 1t is true that the Observer was
usually found up near the head of the
list in the amounts donated, along with
business concerns that were doing ten
times the business of this print shop,
and when the subscriptions came due
it often took every cent the writer had
in the bank to pay his share. 1t Is an
almost universal rule not to ask the
publisher of a newspaper to contri-
butte money to public enterprises, as 1t
is considered that when he gives the
support of his columns, he gives
enough. But the writer has always
done more. He has done more because
he wanted to see Dallas grow and
prosper, and because he has never |
wanted to see his town take one back
ward step. He expects to continue
boosting Dallas through his newspa-
per as long as he remains citizen of
the town, but he will hereafter con-
tribute cash only in proportion to the
extent that the merchants of Dallas
see fit to encourage and support the
Observer. There are many firms in
Dallas that are regular patrons of the
home papers. There are other mer-
chants who do not advertise to the ex-
tent of Eve cent nickel. The Obser-
yer has no complaint to offer on this
score, however, for the business man
who neglects to advertise in this day
and age is himself the real loser. Our
readers will bear us out in the asser-
ton that we have never begged any
the years when we were hard up and {
for a foothold, and we have I
no desire to begin now, when we have I
succeeded in building our business up S
TO a profitable basis. We hold to the '
theory that the newspapers of Dallas '
IAN get along without the people of t
Dallas as well as the people of Dallas S
IAN get along without newspapers, and t
We know that each is necessary to the c
,ther. For that reason, we have always
ldvocated the use of printers Ink as q
business proposition, and not as an t
let of charity toward the publisher. h
There is no law on the statute books II
II Oregon to compel any man to run j
! newspaper, and IL he cannot conduct h
t on a dignifed, business basis, he b
would better get out of the business. T
3ut II is not fair, 1t is not right, it Is b
ot business to expect newspaper to G.
'oost year in and year out for the n
own, and its publisher to dig up his il
ash besides in promoting the public b.
God, unless the public does its full II
hare in return by supporting and en- Il
the newspaper. The Obser- al
er is today enjoying a prosperous u
usiness. The patronage II receives Ell
rom Dallas. 1t appreciates. TO make sc
p for the loss occasioned by home Il
who contribute little or HI
othing to its support. it does a gener- Il
Job printing business for the mer- eI
hants OF neighboring towns The al
mount OF money received from these pl
ltside sources reaches into many &,
undreds OF dollars in year. The Of &C
re pays out thousands OF dollars in as
alias every year for wages and other 70
xpenses, every dollar OF which goes
lrectiy into the Golfers OF Dallas pC
erchants. Its publisher believes that IN
} long as he conducts a paper that tr
loyal 10 Dallas and worthy of Dal- 10
q support, such support should bc
,corded him. He believes further de
vat when Dallas has any money to 81
END for boosting purposes. II should pr
fuse 10 pay IL to outsiders. where Il to
III never be seen again. as long as on
ere are well-equipped boosting 80
ants at home. For that reason. ,he Il
lblishers OF the Dallas newspapers fe
nst be excused n they do not exhibit SCI
" marked degree OF enthusiasm over kr
. proposed plan 20 continue spend be
r outside Of Dallas a lot OF good pu
Has money for that which can be
tnlncd just AZ effectively and az