Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-01-17

various subjects which we are to be fav
pred with as the program is given dur.
ing the sessions to be held at this meet.
ing. These meetings OF our. associa
tons are helpful to all those who have
the welfare Of the craft at heart, and
the social side Of our. meetings help to
kindle afresh those ties OF brotherhood
and good feeling that 60 to make life
worth the living. 1t Is the duty of the
president. SO we are informed, to send
an annual message to this congress of
newspaper men to he dignified by The
title Of, the Presidents Messenger and
like our good president. Woodrow Will
son, we are here to deliver 1t in per-
son.
1t is customary to make on this occa-
sion a brief outline of the work Of the
administration during the past year and
to gixe an account OF my stewardship and
that Of my cabinet. ! wish then to state
at the start that I an extremely CRATE
full for the splendid support and earnest
cooperation OF the officers and executive
committee of our association. Each and
every one has given me their most hear
ty and loyal support and in all the sew
eral executive sessions we have had
there has at no time been a bit Of crit
icism--nothing but the best Of feeling and
general cooperation. So far as ] can find
out, also, the entire membership has
nothing but the best of feeling and good
will towards their officers and my adj.
ministration has been harmonious and
peaceful, for which I arm most sincerely
grateful.
1t becomes my sad duty to announce
that since our last annual meeting we
have lost one of the most faithful men,
bers Of this association, Brother John L.
Haskell, OF Rottineau, whose work for
the interests Of the association was al
ways cheerfully given and whose valua
lle counsel was greatly appreciated.
While his chair in our council room is
vacant we cherish his memory and will
ever keep it green. st" s.. y
There are a few recommendations that
I wish to make and earnestly ask your
consideration: d. E.@-@.. ID .
First would suggest that the annual
dues be reduced from $500 per year to
1915 and that Is cents be assessed
against each member in the association
as the subscription price to he Bulletin,
making the full amount for dues and
the Bulletin $500 as before. The Bulletin
I believe is a fine thing but it needs some
funds for it's maintenance I would like
to have the association act on this mat
ter. ~
Second suggest that the newspapers
Of the state association set aside Q GER
tain amount Of display space to the pro-
paganda Of attracting more people to
this state. whether it comes through the
efforts Of the state federation Of Com
mercial Clubs, a railway company, or
any other organization. But I would sug-
gest that any set Of ads. to be used
in this name be passed through the
hands Of the vice;presidents of the North
Dakota Press Association for fnal APP
prevail before they are sent out to the
in the Association. In the
matter, of space each paper could set
aside any one quarter Of a page for a
certain limited time, say six months. to
boosting for the state. These ads. to he
prepared by the state federation Of Com
mercial Clubs, and passed upon by the
vice-presidents rs above suggested. The
publisher would only be out his space for
that time, but it is sure that more set
tiers would be attracted to this state.
You may think that this is asking you
ii give your space free with no com
pensation in sight. but if by this you
bring new settlers TO the state. it viii
increase your subscription lists, make
more business for The merchants, and
consequently mean more advertising
space used by these merchants and
ultimately mean more business for you.
Three-More interest must be taken
by the members in the matter OF paying
dues. There is q large amount Of money
due the association at the present time
by members more than one year in ar.
rears. These dues are a Just debt and
should be paid so that the association
can in turn pay it's bills and keep the
treasury in good financial condition. When
once a member falls behind in his dues
it seems but natural for him to find fault
with the organization and asked to be
dropped from the rolls. The secretary
has dealt with two such cases this past
year. The secretary finds that the MEM
bers who are most lax in paying their
dues are those who do not attend the
winter meetings of the association, so
it would seem that on account of not
knowing what the association is really
doing for them makes the foundation for
laxity, and complaints. Every newspaper
man in this state should be a member of
this association and not only q member
but a booster for the association. 1t is
through the work Of this association as
an association and through its legisla'
tive committee that every paper in the
state publishing county commissioner
proceedings is getting much more thar
they used to get for this work and bet
ter prices for all kinds of legal work.
this in itself should be enough Of an
incentive to have every newspaper man
in the state join the association and
help boost along something that is work.
ing overtime for their own good. What
we want is boosters, not knockers.
The membership of the association has
not grown as fast as it should during the
past year and remains about stationary.
We ave around three hundred members
and just enough members seem to join
to take the place Of those who leave the
state, 20 out of business or answered to
the call of 800 and passed to the great
beyond. We have between four and five
hundred newspapers in the state and we
urge those who have not already Joined
this association to do so. ~