Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-09
NEWSPAPERS AND THE COMMUNITY.

The remarkable circulation growth of the Daily Cap
a Journal during the past few months evidence that
the people in the Salem territory willing and anxious
publisher filed with the postoffce department in comp
ance with the law shows an average circulation of 1920
which is considerably less than the actual present crcua
ton of the Daily Journal When the first excitement
came the street sales unusually large and the circu
ation ran for days close to 3700 Since conditions
have settled down somewhat street sales only normal
and the growth in the subscription list is steady and per-
manent 1t is much larger than any real circulation
ever enjoyed by Salem paper before, Notwithstanding
any claims which may have been made in the past
The question as to how good newspaper the capital
city may have is largely up to the business of the
city, 1t requires great deal of patronage to maintain
daily newspaper, and in turn the business man who
contributes to it in the shape Of advertising not only
ceves benefit in the publicity that his business
ceves if nteigenty directed but assists in the upbuld
ing Of the community through the work and influence of
the newspaper The larger the circulation of Saems
papers the wider will its trade become because it is
only natural that the readers will be drawn and more
to its place of publication business and trading center
Both of Saems newspapers have creditabe general cir
cua0ns at the present time, the morning papers Off
cia statement showing list of 1929 subscribers and the
Daily Journals is stated above
The papers have been wonderfully improved in the
past few months and the people generally have shown
their appreciation by increased patronage but it must be
admitted that the advertising display Of Salem business
men the most meagre of any city of its size in the North
west They do not seem to realize as they do in many
other cities that the way to get business in dull seasons
to go out after it harder than ever instead OF makng
bad conditions worse by giving up and allowing more
enterprSlng communities to draw and away
from them The Portland department stores and mail
order houses never cut their advertising appropriations
Complaints have been many in the past that Salemsl
papers were not as good those in other cities of SINH
lar Importance and with basis of truth but the fact has
been lost sight OF that the papers probably good
the business patronage accorded them justified They can
be made better than they now to the everlasting bene
fit and credit of the community if the business men, the
clubs lodges and societies Of all kinds will use fewer bill
boards dodgers and other antquaed methods Of adver
tsng and put their business in the newspaper where it
belongs and where it may be found in all progressive up
todate cities Of the country This has become such
firmly established idea that cities are Judged more by the
character and life Of their newspapers than by anything
else.
Investigation will show that where there is admittedly
something wrong with the newspapers there is also some
thing fundamentally wrong with the communities in
which they are published They are only mirrors which
reflect the life and progress Of city, its lack Of enter
prise and its disloyay to home institutions Newspapers
represent industries which usually maintain large rolls
of wepad employees, and not a tax upon the public
giving they do full value in reading matter or publicity
for every dollar paid them They gather up their reve
nues over large territory in subscriptions otherwise,
and most of this money is paid out to printers pressmen
reporters and other employees, who Immediately put it
back into circulation among the business men,
The point of all these observations is that when resi-
dent Of Salem crcses the home papers for not being as
good they ought to be general and local medi
ums he is really charging the community with failure to
accord them the business and support they entitled
to- The publishers are not only willing but anxious for
mprovementt is the community which sets the stand
ard Of its newspapers for they public institutions
which cannot be better than the measure of their pat
ronage