The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-29
TOpekan Warns Business Men
Against AID Schemes.
Tells How Merchants Should
Avoid Programmes.
LEVERAGE ALL GONE
Says Lodges, Churches, Schools
No Longer Can Succeed.
Kansas City, Kansas, Will Act
Against "HOldups.'

Kansas City Kan, Nov EFF you
merchants want advertising, go to the
plants that have built your city-the
newspapers. They advertise you more
than the little 6x6 display ad you
place in one corner of them can pay
for. They sometimes say nice things
about you, and often they don't say
things about you which are not nice
The newspapers are the best adver.
tisement a city or a group OF business
men possesses
This was the text of a lay sermon
preached to $50 representative busl-
ness men of Kansas City, kan, last
night at a banquet at the Grund hotel
by ] w. Robinson. a business man of
Topeka, who told about the system
used by the representative firms OF
that city in doing away with the ad-
Vertising abuses forced on the mef-
chants by lodges. churches and other
organizations in the form of subscrip-
lions and advertising programs The
business men were so impressed by MS
talk that an organization similar to
that in Topeka is to be formed
1--WE formed our association seven
years ago at a committee meeting of
the Commercial club" Mr. Robinson
said. Each member of the commit
tee present had been held up that day
for from IS to $40 each by some Or
ganization for advertising space IN
program for a social or something OF
the kind. We decided right there to
eliminate Objectionable advertising ana
public subscriptions from our daily
business life, and after dividing adVer-
Using under the heads of legitimate
and illegitimate, we decided that out
side of the newspapers 90 per cent OF
it was illegitimate.
Have a Paid Secretary.
1--WE formed an association of repre-
sentative business men, and now when
a committee from a church, lodge or
SAT oITTfr nT~Cr1 n ~
comes into our business houses for
subscriptions or to sell space in an
advertising program we refer them to
a secretary, whom we pay to look up
such requests. If the proposition is
good one we subscribe to it, but the
merchants are not bothered by So
licitors or forced to give money for
advertising which does not bring re-
suits by the fear that a competitor
down the street will get into the good
money.
I'm Topeka it used to be that a
lodge, which had deposit in bank
would go to the officials of the institu-
ton with program and they either
had to take 81 or IS or SO of adver-
Using or to lose the account, and by
taking the subscription the bank Off
cialS gave the solicitors leverage on
every other bank in town We do a
great deal of charity work at small
cost to each member of the Organiza-
ton, and we are about the only philan-
thropic organization know of that is
not always broke.
I'm the case of a public enterprise
like building a new Y. NJ c. A. build
ing we pledge ourselves to give $4,000,
for instance, provided the soliciting
committee raises a like amount from
the business men who are not members
of the organization. One member of
our association whose annual assess
ment is $24, found that he was saving
so much in the first month by our plan
that he wrote the secretary and want
ed to send an additional S24 to the
fund. We never have less than $10,-
600 in our treasury, and never have
we failed to contribute literally to
every public enterprise such as street
fairs, conventions and all forms of
charity. We allow our members to
advertise in any legitimate newspaper,
in the city directory and to contribute
to the Provident association. but we
| fine them if we catch them advertising
in the 'ilIegitimate' FORMS
And the Ice Cream Melted.
Mr.. Robinson told of ore eight-page
program gotten up by a social organi-
cation which contained $500 worth of
advertising bought by the merchants.
| The program was for an entertainer
and ice cream social, but it rained and
\ 1rO771OforC nf the scheme fn111d