Semi-weekly herald., 1912-07-22
REFORM THE METHODS OF AD-
VERTISING.
(By EmiI stein. Dnrango. colo. J

tDy Emil solelIlt durango, 0OlO.)
There is not a word in Webster's
Dictionary that has been discussed as
much as the word reform" We hear
of this word in religious VIC *, in the
business field, but more particularly
the last few years in political work.
All of our great politicians such as
Roosevelt, President Taft, La Toilette,
Clark, Harmon, Bryan, Debbs-and
hundreds of others are all crying IRE
form in government" In Colorado
there is n Direct Legislation league,
and the past year they have been
sending out great many petitions
to amend the state constitution in nu-
merous ways. | have read all of
these petitions and signed the major
ity of them, but my attention has been
called to the fact that in all petitions
that have been circulated, in all the
speeches of our great politicians on
reform government" there has been a
reform feature needed-one of vital
importance-one that will protect the
masses more than any other one re-
form feature-one that will protect
the business man in every branch of
commercial activities, and one that
will help the press and publisher that
are trying to give to the world clean
journalism. The reform feature have
in mind is loform in the Advertising
I'eld. There are no orher kinds of
commercial activities tina. need the at
tention of our reformers more thar
Advertising. There are no other
branches of modern business methods
that need reforming more than the
methods OF advertising.
An advertisement is guid. post; 1t
direct and influences us. 1t tells us
where ro purchase the food we eat;
it informs where and how the food is
made; it tells the kind of clothing to
purchase; the proper tp niture to in
stall in the home, and when travelling
the fastest train to travel upon; when
in a strange place the proper hotel
to lodge while in the city.
Now, let's stop here and see if this
guide post is guiding in the proper
direction. In some instances it is. and
in some it is not But here is the
trouble-how can any one tell il they
will be in the hands of a Legitimate
merchant when responding to an ad-
vertisement in a strange place. Under
the present system no one on earth
can tell If an advertisement tells the
truth or if it is meant to mislead or
misrepresent. There are great many
instances where legitimate merchants
who are trying and are doing a le-
gitimate advertising business are mis-
led by "get rich quick" grafters in
the advertising business who convince
advertisers by fake" advertising that
their methods are on the legitimate
scale; so / say, if these wonderful ad-
vertising geniuses who make claims
that seem impossible continue to make
these claims and fail to prove them,
it is time we "choke them off," not
for the sake of any one individual,
but for the sake of the legitimate ad-
vertiser and agency.
Every advertisement should tell the
truth and be on the square; every
advertisement should be guarantee
Of legitimate dealing, regardless as
to where or how it appears. Adver-
tisements should be guarantee to
publisher, merchant, and consumer.
The merchant and publisher should be
protected from misrepresented sys-
TENS given out by advertising men
and agencies. The consumer should
be protected from fraudulent and fic-
titious figures in price, reductions and
reasons, for the reduction of either re-
tail or wholesale cost. When the peo-
pie who patronize the newspapers and
are sure of the fact that
Dvsry advertisement is guarantee;
hat the matter contained therein is !