New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-24
MAYOR TALKS RIGHT AT
THE NEWSPAPER OWNERS
Press Associations at Dinner
Hear Gaynor'S Now Famous
"Ragbag" Diatribe.
WOULD FIGHT AS IN SOUTH
Street Corner Chastisement
Very Much to His Honor's
Liking When Crossed by
Hostile Editor.

Hostile Editor.
The members of the Daily Newspaper
Association. their wives and guests. to
| the number of about two hundred and
fifty. took some straight talk from Mayor
Gaynor last night with cordial good
humor.
The Mayor. a guest at the fifth annual
dinner of the association at the Waldorf
Astoria, could hardly repudiate the senti
ments regardins newspapers popularity
associated with his name. but IN reit-
| Grating them he took refuge in his praise
Of the press of the country AS a whole,
particularly of the press OF the South.
where. ne said. If the 'ragbag" newspa-
per proprietors INDUCED in undeserved
denunciation they had to answer Tor 1t
| on the street corners.
And. to tell the truth he added. ~
am not sure that that's such a bad idea. -
As for the press of New York. that
model city. he admitted that there were
some splendid papers here" but that all
| were stricken more or less with the in
| FIRMLY of initiating the other kipd."
Il have a small notion" he remarked
| that | nave added to the circulation Of
some of them somewhat. have had the
idea that what ] have said in some sec
tons about the ragbag newspapers has
had some effect in increasing the circula-
ton OF the others. The editors haven't
given me credit for 1t, but think 1t Is
time they did"
Louis Wiley, OF "The New York Times. -
who presided had mentioned the Mayor $
non-partisan appointments 20 Office as
among the things TO recommend the first
/ speaker on the list. The appointment OF
/ big Biz Edwards occurred To him as a
case i'm point The Mayor geefuly
bounced upon the opening presented TO
him here saying:
Big BIZ EdwaTds's chief job is keep
/ ing the cutters free from some Of the
newspapers published I'm this town l
/ have told the police TO summon all those
persons they see throwing newspapers
into the cutters. But / have felt all the
time that ! was doing a wrong There
are some newspapers I'm this town which
people ought To throw into the gutter
rather than bring them home. To fine a
man for throwing some Of these red-head-
line newspapers in the gutter seems al
most outrageous So ] suppose | shall
have to wink both eyes II the police don't
carry that order out
The Mayors subject was The News
paper Proprietor This individual he
considered TO be the root OF all evil in
the newspaper world.
Leave the news reporter and the editor
alone and they will do no one an injus-
tice" said he. but when the proprietor
marks out policy. then the newspaper
becomes what II was never intended 10 he
the mere exponent OF the proprietor
He quoted some remarks Of Emerson s.
made In 1876 he said. concerning the
public press OF that day. Emerson found
bits OF immortal stun In pretty nearly
every paper making 1t hard for the
housewife to decide 10 throw II away
The MAYOR was moved 90 laughter when
he contrasted the condition OF the Ne"
York press to-day with that Of the press
10 which Emerson referred But outside
of New York. except in those cities where
certain loose" proprietors had demon
/ allied the whole thing" he found Elmer
sons panegyric still applicable.
The press" said he. lis the greatest
! force We have In the country. AS a
whole II Is force for the good. IL Is
| better 10 leave II entirely free from cen
sorship. with all it, abuse and low-bred
proprietorshp In spots
Miss Inez Milholland. who followed
Mayor Gaynor. spoke on The Psychology
OF Advertising" as viewed from the sur
fragette standpoint. Mr. Wiley. IN intro
ducing her. said she sympathized with
the tactics Of her militant sisters In Eng
land. and called her a walking delegate
| for Mrs Pankhurst. but she avoided any
mention OF England. combining herself TO
an advocacy OF the methods to attract at
| tention used by the votes for women
| enthusiasts In this country.
Professor paul =. cherington. OF the
Graduate School of Business Administra-
ton. Harvard University. discussed Ma
tionsl Advertising from the Consumer
| Standpoint
| @. H. Backman president OF the
| Rlackman- Ross Company, spoke on The
| Conservation Of the National Advertiser /,
| lanes Schermerhorn. publisher of THE
| Detroit Times" had as his subject - est
! ing the Eeatitudos-A Twentieth Century
| Nevspaper Experiment and Charles " g.
! Dietrich secretary of the Central Branch
! of the Brooklyn Young Mems Christian
| Association. spoke on The Ethical Side
| of Advertising.