The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-17
TELEPHONE OFFICIALS TO
CONSIDER CLUBS REQUEST
COMMERCIAL CLUB SECRETARY
COMPLIES REASONS AGAINST
DIRECTORY ADS.

AT the request 81 District Superin-
tendent Baker Of the Michigan State
Telephone company. Secretary George
l.. Price. Of the Copper Country Com
mercial club. has compiled a list OF the
reasons for the elimination OF adver-
tisements I'm the telephone directories
of the company.
The Commercial club became inter
ested In this matter some time ago,
believing that il the advertising were
eliminated from the directories the
! patrons Of the telephone company
would be enabled 10 find Il number
more readily especially should the
call be imperative. Secretary Price
took up the matter with the local
branch of the company ana Manager
Reir informed him the complaint
! would have To be taken mp with high
/ or authorities as the advertisements
IN the directories are handled by a
separate company. 1t will be neces-
sary To discuss the question with
them before ANYTHING final is done In
I the matter
The following reasons have been
/ given by Secretary Price for the elm
| nation of such advertising:
You viii notice from an inspec-
| ton of your directories that ninety
per cent of the advertising contained
i'm them Is foreign. Through the
medium of your directory outside con-
Germs are becoming rivals of your To-
cal merchants and manufacturers The
Copper Country Commercial club
does not desire 10 go on record as dis
couraging legitimate competition, but
IT is thoroughly converted TO the buy
ing at home gospel.
The leading advertisement on page
three Of your present directory is that
of a mail order house. No progress
sive newspaper will accept mail order
advertisements. Your company de-
riyrs more support from local mer-
chants than from mail order houses.
Local business men are doing more To
build Gp our community and extend
your field as well as theirs than this
mail order house.
Another advertisement prominent
~ displayed in your directory states
that the liquor habit has been posi-
lively and permanently cured in three
days. There is question among
newspapers as to whether jag-cure'
advertising Is desirable literature To
send into the normal American home.
II you desire 10 carry advertising
i'm your directories. why not make il
of real value 10 your subscribers by
compiling a business directory such
as is found in metropolitan telephone
books \ busy subscriber who would
not stop To read display ads, when call
ing the fire department, police head
quarters, the undertaken the doctor.
the dentist, the ambulance or the hos
pital, might find this classified SER
vice a convenience.
Would not the elimination of dis
play ADVERTISING leave more space
for information of service To the SUBJ
the classification Of patrons by local
ity and the insertion of the streets
and numbers?
There are in Houghton county sew
oral general divisions under which
subscribers living in the smaller To-
calitics may be grouped, such as Call
umet. Torch Lake, Hancock. Hough-
ton. South Range North Range and
Mohawk
Those suggestions are made not in
an antagonistic spirit. but with thor
ough appreciation for the excellent
service which the telephone company
Is now giving and with desire to
make this service of greater value to
Your several thousand subscribers in
this district"
The telephone company viii take az
Tho matter as soon as possible and
thcir decision in the matter viii be
riyon - the club.