The Harrison times., 1914-07-18


Publicity Act as 1t is being initiated
the newspapers are held to a price
fifty per cent lower than the regular
statutory rate for legal notices. In
other words, the newspapers are will
ing to concede a reduction Of fifty per
cent (Which is exactly one-half, mind
YOU'D, in the price of such notices as
come within the provisions Of the Pub
licity Act in order to secure its adop
tion This is a concession which few
other established institutions OF a
purely business nature would care to
make.
only Half Legal Rate Is Provided.
The motives actuating the newspa.
pers in conceding this reduction may
be purely patritoic, or they may be
due to a realization Of the fact that
to make the full statutory charge for
the various publications provided for
] in the Publicity Act would endanger
, its adoption at the polls; but what
ever be their motives, the fact re-
mains that all such notices as may be
published under the act will take the
half rate instead Of the full rate. The
fees allowed public officials for pre-
pairing these notices, or reports, are
also fixed in the act, and they are not
In such amounts that their payment
will entail a hardship upon the tax
payers,
The nominal expense TO which the
public would be subjected under this
measure would be offset by the saving
due directly to wholesome publicity,
Among public officials there would be
retrenching here, a looping off there
and an economy yonder, all for the
purpose Of making q good showing at
the time OK publishing their reports
and the saving in these respects alone
would more than compensate for pub.
fishing the reports in the newspapers,
The elimination Of graft providing
that II now exists, would be the means
OF another saving, and carelessness In
the use Of public funds would become
thing Of the past, or so rare as TO
become a neglible quantity in the fl.
nal footing up, Here, again, there
would be n saving, and the excellent
feature OF the whole matter would be
that the people themselves s-who pay
the bills and furnish the sinews Of
war would know to the last penny
where their money goes after II leaves
their pockets and drops into the pub.
lie till
In thus keeping an accurate tab on
the financial end Of the situation, the
most important function OF the Pub.
lcity Act would be discharged but
there are other matters which would
also be affected by It's application
There are many abuses in public Of.
flee which do not involve the hand
ling or the misuse OF money, There
are official acts, wholly apart from
money, which would suffer no harm
from reasonable amount Of whole.
some publicity, Section o. W Of
the proposed act furnishes a good eX.
ample OF this,
Boiling the matter down TO brass
tacks, the proposed measure demands
that the public generally shall be kept
informed on the condition Of public
affairs, the conduct Of public officials
and the state OF the public finances,
II puts the public business on the ba.
sis OF n bank; the officials are en-.
trusted with the management Of the
bank, but they must make full reports
TO tho stockholders 10 that the latter
may know at all times just what the
bank IL doing, In the case here dis,
eussed the public treasury may be
designated as the bank, and the poo.
pie constitute the stockholders there.
or Their officials should bo required
TO mako reports 10 the stockholders
no that confidence VIII be maintained
Il IL just a plain business proposition,
and aB such II ought to appeal to ey.
cry man who is able to think for him.
self.
However, certain gentlemen (now In
office, by the way, are alleged to
have expressed the opinion that Act
! No, 3 Cthe Publicity AGU, In objec'
tIonablo because II contains some
very bad features" Let ue see, even
al the risk Of the readers impotlence,
what the act itself has 10 say Let
us analyge II and see for ourselves
II there are any bad features In II
when viewed from the standpoint OF
the people.
There is nothing wrong In OcQualnt'
lng the people twenty days In advance
with the nature OF measure upon
which they are expected TO pass iudg'
meht AZ the polls SO Section I must
be- free from bad foautrea'
II Ia right and proper that the poo.
plo should know something about the
laws made for their benefit and which
they are required TO observe, II Ia
an old legal axiom that ignorance OF
the law excuses no one but the Ak
lom, In these days whom law has pro
crossed beyond the confines Of com
al -