Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-05

improvement in the art Of advertising
during the present century has been
simply amazing. When he recollected
the crude and vulgar illustrations that
did duty in the days of his youth and
when he saw the hpardings of the
present day adorned with posters from
pictures of artists Of the standing Of
Millais downwards, he had nothing
but a feeling Of admiration and hope
for the future. A great article was
worthy of good advertisement, and
competition on these lines could not
be too strongly encouraged.
There was one error on the part of
consumers, he proceeded, that ought
to be exposed, namely, the belief that
the cost of advertising was compen-
sated for by the increased cost Of the
article advertised. The fact was that
the increased demand for an adver-
tised article enabled the manufacturer
to produce it at much less cost than
If the demand was on a small scale,
and besides that many manufacturers
were quite content to have a larger
sum in smaller profits rather than a
smaller sum in larger profits One
point about ADVERTISED goods was that
they were less susceptible of price
fluctuations.
A new use Of advertising, he con-
tinued, was for the purpose Of mold
ing public opinion. At the last gen.
eral election both parties had made
unexampled use of press advertising
to explain their policies and ideas, a
province which has hitherto been left
to the editorial side of the newspa-
pers, and to accomplish the end in
view both parties utilized the opposi-
ton press with the obvious intention
of winning the adherents to the cau'e
which each had at heart.
Mr.. Street concluded his review by
pointing out that the general public
was beginning to have more faith in
advertising, for the simple reason
that advertising Of the best type did
not go in for senseless eXaggeration.
The more truthful advertising was,
and the more closely it portrayed the
true character of the goods, the more
powerful it would become.
Carmichael Thomas, chairman Of the
Graphic, who presided, in opening the
discussion that followed, said that
when he first became connected with
advertising in journalism 40 years
ago the advertisements had to be set
in small type, and no illustrations
we're allowed. In fact, between 1870
and 1880 there was no Illustrated ad-
vertisements in the Graphic at all,
During the 10 years that followed
small and insignificant illustrations
made their appearance, but it was not
until 1890 that the advertisers really
began to be a power in the press At
that time the managers did not trust
the advertiser or his agent to produce
anything artistic, but since then ar
tistic advertising had steadily lin
proved. If the advertiser had some
thing good, Mr.. Thomas added, he
must keep pegging away. 1t was no
use to make a sudden burst Of adver-
tising, and then letting 1t alone.
The discussion was wound up by
Mr.. Street, who stated that his eXpe-
rience went to prove that no dishon-
est advertising paid in the long run.
The sale of thing that was a fraud
could not be kept up. II responsible
advertisers saw a newspaper going
out Of its way to support fraudulent
advertisement they stopped using that
paper for their own advertisements.
Dishonest advertisements did not pay
the advertiser, and they did not pay
the newspaper.