The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-11-27
MERCHANTS PUT BAN ON
CATCH.PENNY ADVERTISING.
From the Macon News. }

Inc acIlOn vi the hcIdll Wei =
chants association in putting ban
on all meretricious catch-penny ad-
,ertising schemes is not only a just
and needed measure of protection
tor themselves against prolific
source of imposition and annoyance
to them, but it amounts in effect to
much appreciated testimonial to
the newspapers Of the city that are
legitimately engaged in the bust
ness.
The established newspapers of a
city have many claims on the people
and business institutions of it. aside
from the guild pro quo that they give
in consideration Of every advertis-
ing contract they receive. that it
would neither be wise or just to ig-
more. There is no business that is
so precarious and dififcult of build
ing up as that of first-class news
paper; none that exacts so great
proportion of strenuous devotion,
mental and manual labor and pecun-
larry outlay for the returns that are
made. and there is none that Incl
dentally contributes SO much and
along SO many lines to the common
interests and welfare without stated
returns therefore. The newspaper is
public servant that gets no wage
from the public, but depends on its
private resources and enterprise for
its maintenance. The newspaper
every day and week and month in
the year, and year in and year out,
is called on to labor for the general
good; to put all its resources. its
energy and its enthusiasm at the
service of public enterprises. wheth-
er of a commercial, industrial or
charitable nature; to devote its val
liable space and the time and talents
of its workers without any thought
of money return. 1t strives with
a zeal that knows no cessation to
make its pages attractive and neces-
sary to every home and office and
business place, and thus create a
value as an advertising medium that
nothing else can approach. Incl
dcntally, also a city is best known
and advertised abroad by the charac
ter of its newspapers, and just IN
production as they are able and
prosperous and well patrOnize1.
showing the volume and variety OF
the business and industrial inter
csts. is the city judged and cstimat
ed. 1t is the nature of the newspaper
that the more revenue 1t receives
the more is put into it and the big
ger and better it grows.
All these things. We submit, con-
stitute a claim on the business in
terests of the community for their
advertising patronage that they
ought not and cannot afford to ig-
more.
Looking at it from the stand
point OF sclf-interest merely, the
newspaper through its weekly pay
roll and current expenditures re-
turns to the business channels OF
its home city approximately all that
it receives, which cannot be said, as
a rule, of the transient advertising
schemes that are SO often tried on
our merchants and others
While. therefore. We are duly APP
preciative of and thankful for the
course OF the Retail Merchants as
sociatiOn in calling a halt on the
shoal of catch-penny advertising
schemes that besiege them and cut
into the appropriations the individ-
ual members apportion for legitimate
advertising purposes. we congratu-
late the members of the association
as well as ourselves on the wisdom
of their action.