Morris tribune., 1913-12-12
THE PRESS AND DEVELOPMENT

The city of Morris has been host this week to the
West Central Minnesota Development Association and
will be host to the Seventh District Editorial
Association. The editors meeting here at this time
because they wish to get in touch with the great move
ment for rural beteent which the Development Assoca
tion has started.
healthy rural life is the sheet anchor of nation S
prosperity and perpetuy, and the country newspaper
of the great agencies for the production and maintain
of a healthy rural life.
The press performs great service in the proper
presentation and dissemination of local news which tho
often inconsequenta yet reflects the local life and pro-
local pride-and local pride only another name
for patriotism.
But than this, the local press is the interpreter
of what is best in the community. keeps in close touch
with progress and alert to catch the note of
provement and betterment.
In its work the West Central Minnesota Development
Association has had stronger ally than the press of
this district and yet the has not done and is do
ing much it would like simply because it could
afford to do The press has given thousands of
dollars worth of to this movement but the editors
have found it impossible to give than very limited
amount of their own time and attention
Every editor in West Central Minnesota should have
attended this Corn and Alfalfa Exposition part
his editorial duty but half of them here and the
they not here is because they too busy
which being interpreted that there many
try editors whom it is important stay home
and get Sd 90 job of letterheads for which rea
money will be receive than it is spend money
attending great community movement like this for
which time and money spent he adequate
return from the community.
If country life is be further built up, the country
press further built up and put where
the editors really give attention to editorial work
By 'edtorial work. we do not mean the production of
matter for the editorial page but time for the
proper realization and Interpretation of the life of the
community presented in either the news, personal
correspondence editorial columns No agency can do
this bat the local PRESS and if the local press does
do it, it will not be done
Henry Watterson said that the trouble with the
try newspapers that they by job printers
and the closer studies the business the he
struck with the force of this remark. No be
editor and devote his days to the production
commercial printing and his evenings to the hasy prepa-
alton of copy and yet that is just what many editor
capable of better things doing and is compelled do
More editorial time devoted to the production Of the
weekly newspaper greater expense for the pro.
duction of that paper, and more expense that
there must be added For the production of
added revenue higher rates must be received from
only two legitimate of which a news
paper Neutrality-suspicious. and advertising
The $1.5O subscription obtains for the most part
thruout this section of the state. but the time
far distant when the papers will have to begin move
the So 90 basis; average rate of 10 to Is cents
inch obtains for Advertising but the papers will
to up the Is to 20 cent b"ss These increased
rates just led by the present high of v-
ing - but we speaking of this We speaking
of them only to produce the needed revenue if
the to be conducted by who have time for
editorial work and time to do their in promoting and
maintaining the healthy rural fe VIII ich the West Central
Minnesota Development association and other organiza
tions of similar character formed to maintain.
This promotion of rural life. the maintenance of
local homeinteres and the saying and the making of the
the best place to live is the real serious
work of the country 1t is great patriotic work.
1t is the work of the press today and it will the
of the press 100 years from now and the country
press will be the job then long after the West Central
Minnesota Development Association has passed into his
tory.
For this great work which the country editor does for
the community he is entitled to adequate financial
from the community for the aborer is worthy of
his hire
"IN OUR MIDST"