The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-16
What the Government Is Dolup.

sress who have not understood It's
purposes and who have tried to at
tach an odium TO the word publicity
III number OF cases the men doing
the writing have been dubbed press
agents and the idea has gone out that
their duties nave been solely TO boost
the chiefs and the bureaus for whom
they were working. The publicity
work which has been carried on most
successfully in the bureaus has been
conducted by men who have had
practical newspaper experience and
who know that puffs or undue praise
either or their superiers or Of the
bureaus themselves would hinder
rather than help the effectiveness OF
their work
Among the bureaus which have &C.
compilshed much In the dissemination
OF public information after the work
was placed in the hands OF practical
newspaper men are included the Uni
ted states bureau OF the census, whose
| publicity work three years ago was
directed by Whitman Osgood: the
United States bureau OF mines, where
/ the work Is In charge of John l..
Cochrane; the United States bureau
or education, whose ''popularizer" Is
! j. =. Ryan; the United States re-
clamation Service. where publicity is
handled by the statistician, c. j
| Blanchard, and the United States for
est service.
| The members of the Washington
corps OF correspondents have found
usually that the nearest approach TO
| theatrical press agenting" coming
from any OF the departments has usu-
ally been traced back to men who
have had no experience In newspaper
work and who little understand that
| boosts OF persons or of bureaus Will
not be printed by managing editors
or various papers over the country.
An instance OF the kind was shown
during one Of the recent administra-
tons when a cabinet officer directed
that either his name or the name OF
the department be placed In the first
line or first paragraph OF every press
notice given 10 the newspapers. The
result Of this policy was that little
or none OF the copy written along this
line ever got into print.
Mr.. Wharton. whose work In the
agricultural department will be TO
popularize the information gathered
by the various bureaus of tn depart
ment and TO show the 1..erence be-
tween crude press agenting and legiti-
mate publicity, comes to Washing.
ton after a successful newspaper ex-
perience In New York. The sugges.
ton for the employment OF a man to
do the kind OF work which Mr..
Wharton will direct has been made
number Of times to a number OF de-
partments. and was emphasized dur
ing the last trip Of Ambassador Wal
ter II. Page, In Washington. A pub
licity man In the departments. ofi-
Gals realize. has a dozen opportuni-
ties a day 10 either hurt or hinder
the work OF department. according
10 his tact and ability in handling diff
ficult problems as they come up to
him. Secretary Houston believes that
the work will go we'll under the d.
rection of Mr.. Wharton. who, not
withstanding the fact that he 10 new
TO Washington. has a full conception
OF the scope OF work OF the depart.
ment, and the secretary believes fur
Their that the work can be done In
such q way to make II thoroughly
satisfactory. both TO the thousands OF
people over the country who want In.
formation on agriculture and also to
the many newspaper and magazine
writer's who apply to the department
for material.