The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-09-20

in its nature educational or carrying
desirable information to the readers
and observing readers know that
some of the reading notices which
and properly so, to create market
for somebody's goods or wares, but
hereafter, such matter when used will
have the word advertisement tack
ed in some place as part of the art
icle.
II is about as much of surprise
to the publishers to have their bust
ness regulated" in this way as it
would be for the average dealer to
be compelled to spread out the pur-
chase price before his customer and
show him just how much of the
amount was profit for him, or to the
farmer to find that he must single
out every thrifty calf and attach a
tag to it to show whether it was kept
fat and thrifty by being fed on skim
milk and shorts or Wy nursing direct.
AS to the purpose of the law, it is
designed to forestall the efforts of
publishers who have taken advantage
of their position by advocating the
introduction of goods, wares or poll
cies for hire which they would not
otherwise endorse. 1t is designed to
stop the selling of editorial opinions
and boosting questionable projects in
mining and other things. There is
already state law in Idaho to pro-
vide for the prosecution of advertis-
ing fake mining propositions and if
the writer does it knowing that it is
fake he is liable, but that is not
effective because the writer may not
be proven to have been aware of its
being a fake when he wrote the art
icle. This new federal law stamps
the article as being an advertisement
and then it is up to the reader to
find out for himself whether or not 1t
| is a safe Investment, warning him
not to depend upon the statements
| in the article unless he is willing to
abide by the consequences.
1t IS not the purpose of the law to
compel the advertiser to attach the
label to display advertising, for 1t
! shows for itself what it is, nor to the
short reading notices known as To-
Gals, in which John Doe announces
that he has apples to sell, or a cow
| that is fresh and ready for sale, or
millinery at Mrs. Roe's or that Boil
liver has steel traps or that he keeps
man especially to set up and clean
YOUR stoves during October or that
Unison has hay and pasture now
ready for market. 1t must be used
| to identify that class of advertising
that would otherwise be yelled in
doubt and liable to deceive the public
as to it's purpose. The advertiser
who has something legitimate to Of
fer will not be prevented from COM
municating it to the public, nor will
the public think any less of him for
having the courage to push his own
goods or plans in print labeled in
ny way tina: !'ncle Sam may think
lest for the publ, god.
Another feature ri the bill is that
it provides for the publication every
six months, in October and April, of
the names of the owners, officers and
stockholders of the newspaper. This
| is intended to Smoke out" the polit-
icians who own newspapers to give
themselves publicity and editorial
support, and others who for similar
motives own and control newspapers.
The law givers took the view that as
| the newspapers clOSely aIIecC the pun
lie, that the public is entitled to
know who owns them and why.
Therefore the first of October will
| witness publications in many of the
papers, showing who are the own
ers of stock or shares and where
the purposes of such ownership are
for other than creditable purposes
there will probably be movement
to get under cover before publica-
tion is made, and it will not be sur
prising if some of 1t changes hands
soon.