Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1912-11-29

The Beaver Press takes issue with The Record
in its views respecting the recent federal law
requiring newspapers to publish a list of their
principal stockholders and their officers as well
as to mark all reading and other printed notices.
for which compensation is paid or expected with
the word advertisement.
The Press says that the law is good one for
the reason that it will disclose or more correct
y, expose. certain metropolitan papers which have
been giving editorial support to special interests
for financial consideration.
AS this paper stated, these are the rea sons
sought to be corrected by the law: but will it do
it? We reiterate again that we see no particular
objection to this feature of the bill it is not the
worst feature the measure contains But what
has IT accomplished so far other than to satisfy
the morbid curiosity of those who. for no reasons
that will be of any benefit to themselves or to
the community, wish to know the owners of GER
tain papers.
In this state virtually every paper has COM
piled with the law as to the publication of the
names of the owners, ct cetera and we should
be pleased to have the Press point out single
instance where the government. the state, or the
community, has been benefited by such publica-
tions.
On the other hand those papers which seek
to do things which the law seeks to correct. will
not hesitate to go right along as they have in the
past. If they are employed in the interest of any
extensive trust financial interest, does it stand
to reason that the little matter of fine of $500 will
deter them, when for their support they are paid
thousands of dollars year. Then, there is the
task of detecting whether-or not any matter ap-
pearng in such papers is paid for. The papers
which offend "a very small part of the total num-
Der OF papers printed) have very little to fear
from this most a~aitrary cl4.se of thu law while
il will work thousands of dollars Of Injury to the
publications of the country and their patrons.
The mark advertisement" on On article is
often sufficient to cause the reader of the publca
tion containing the article to pass il by though
it might contain an announcement that would be
of value to him if he read it, while if such palp-
able designation was omitted he would read the
article and profit by it. and would possibly pur-
chase the article advertised. The results would
be that the advertiser would get value received for
the money expended and would wish to contiue ad-
vertising with the papers. The presence of such
a mark of designation will shortly enable readers
to recognize the advertising notices at a glance
and will pass them up. preferring to read the dis
play ads which do not contain so much matter and
are more attractive from an artistic view.
Among all the thousands of papers which
have complied with the law we have not heard of
single instance where any benefit has been
secured either to the public or to the government,
and we should prefer to have those who deign to
defend the measure show us what we have not yet
seen. The Postmaster General himself. is opposed
the measure and states that he sees no good in it,
although declaring his intention to enforce it be-
cause it is his duty to do as the head of the post
office department