The San Francisco call., 1910-06-24

{
san Francisco advertising meas
association.
After seeing San Francisco the Pa
cihc coast advertising men got down to
shop talk yesterday afternoon and
evening at the Auditorium annex. The
morning was given over to an auto
tour, with a local man in each machine
TO act as spieler. The run covered the
rebuilt and unburned districts. the Pre-
sidio and Golden Gate park, with a
noon rest ct the Cliff house, where
luncheon was served
The evening session was called by
President II. G. Longhurst to leave to-
day free. as the local association
through William Woodhead, had ar
ranged an excursion to Mount Tamal-
pals by courtesy Of the Northwestern
Pacific and mountain railways. The ex-
cursion viii leave this morning on the
9.45 ferry for Sausalito, At Z o'clock
this evening q banquet will be given TO
the visitors at the st. Francis by the
advertising men OF this city.
Large crowds attended the exhibition
in the Auditorium at Page and FIJI
more streets last evening.
SUPERVISION or ADVERTISING
The first paper read yesterday was
by william A. Mesrs. a widely known
publicity man of Los Angeles. His
theme was Government Supervision of
Advertising" with the view 10 keeping
out of the mails matter dealing with
questionable or fake enterprises. He
said in part:
1t would indeed be severe strain
a.
ceptible If a statement could be pub
lished showing the millions of dollars
that are annually hlched from the pub
lic by the illegitimate promotion OF
mining, oil, agriculture and bogus in
dustrial schemes. The reason for this
is at once apparent TO US when we con-
slider that mining and agriculture are
the foundation and cornerstone of all
trade and commerce, and being the le-
gitimate resources of the great for
tunes and wealth of our country they
are consequently used by the unscru-
pUlous promoter and pseudo broker as
Tie bait to attract the unsuspecting
and inexperienced. thereby inducing
them 70 give up their meager savings,
which in the large percentage of cases
represent the result of years of labor,
.frUgalfty and self-deniaL And it is sad
10 relate that in most instances these
losses are sustained by those of the
Alu4tG E4aSSs lEOfN lne wage Garner TO
the widow dependent upon her slender
income.
FAKE PROMOTERS SCORED
The reflex action OF this has been
more seriously felt, perhaps, in the
states west of the Rocky mountains
in general, and the Pacific coast states
in particular, than upon any other sec
tion Of our country. This Is owing
largely 20 the fact that the wealth
Of natural resources in these states is
far greater than in any other COM
bined sections Of the United States, and
consequently this has been used as q
basis for fake promotions. which have
secured millions from investors from
all sections Of the country. with the
natural consequent prejudice against
the quality OF ali like classes of min
ersl or agricultural propositions. as
well as against the locality and COM
mUnity in which they originated, when
the absence Of any intrinsic value be-
comes apparent
England has upon her statute books
today laws that absolutely safeguard
every investor or purchaser of the Sc
curities or corporations publicly offered
FOR subscription. and this TO a degree
that is as remarkable as IL is COM
mendable. In the publication OF every
offering OF shares for subscription in
any original corporation, whether by
decentralization or through the medium
OF the newspapers and other periodicals
the promoter is compelled by law TO
make 2 fun and open statement OF
every condition surrounding the prop
erty which IS made the basis for the
capitalization OF the corporation. He IS
also obliged to state the exact sum of
money that he is paying for the prop
erty. and show the exact profit that
will accrue TO him or his associates in
selling the same to the corpora tion.
and he must also state in detail the
snterest that any OF his associates may
have therein. and also whether they
are officers or directors of the cor
poration, whose shares the public are
asked to buy In other words, he Is
obliged by law 10 take the public into
his confidence"
CENSORSHIP ADVOCATED
Mears commented on the stand taken
by progressive newspapers and maya
zines against false and misleading ads
but thought It safest to have a commits
sion to carry out such a censorship as
prevails in England.
Florence J. O'Brien of Chico proposed
that Mears' recommendations be in
dorsed. c. W. Hibberd seconded the
motion, which was carried enthusiastic-
ally
Joseph Blethen. manager OF the Sc
attic Times. said that he indorseo
NIears idea. and believed that II fake
advertising were killed by the govern
ment legitimate enterprises would ad-
vertise more freely with restored public
confidence.
Blethen then followed with his paper
on Printing News Before It Happens
This. he explained, was a bit of soph-
istry used by his own paper to impress
on the public the difference Of time be-
tween the western and eastern points,
enabling his paper, for instance. to pub
lish in the afternoon at 4 o'clock, Sc
attic time, the death of King Edward
which did not happen that day until
nearly midnight, London time.
The advertiser Just the same way, he