The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-07-23
BUSINESS PEOPLE ANNOYED

are taken advantage OF ana grated
by the middle man" through lack of
proper understanding Of each others
intentions and facilities for supply
ing what the other needs. We sup
pose each man in business thinks his
line is the target for the most shrewd
games to relieve him Of his money,
and certainly there are plenty in
every line.
Newspapers always try to furnish
Jail the advertising service needed by
their respective communities, and adj
Ivertising solicitors keep coming and
going. and they play upon the jeal-
ousies existing between men Of the
same lines Of business. including the
publishers, and reap golden har-
west for little service. The adver-
tiser and publisher usually receive
unsatisfactory returns from this class
of work, yet it always comes some
what higher than what is carried on
in the usual commercial way. Every
publisher dislikes to have the pro-
fessional solicitor come to town, and
lyet he must cope with the problem
carefully or he loses by rejecting his
offers. This office usually gives them
la hearing and tries to protect itself
and its patrons from their damaging
Operations.
Last March a solicitor came to
place what is known as the house
plate with one of the newspapers,
the plan being to secure the adver-
Using contracts himself, hire space
in paper to run it, pay the pub
Usher for his part, discount the CON
tracts at the bank and pass on. The
bank holds the paperN until the adj
vertising service is completed and
then collects from the advertisers.
1t a publisher declines to sell his
space in that way, the competitor
usually accepts the business. and the
first one simply loses that much. In
the case of the "house plate" man,
We thought we knew the dangers it
carried, and we listened to his prop
|ositions, unanswered carefully, nam
ed high prices for our service if
we rendered it at all, required a
signed contract for every deal he
made with advertisers, and made him
pay in advance for everything we
ibid for him. We could not assume
the guardianship of each advertiser
and go to him and ask him what
he understood when he signed the
contract or if there were verbal
agreements modifying the contract
4 The solicitor transacted business
with us according to the lines we
4 agreed upon with marked courtesy
lin every respect. When the adye-.
tlsers paid their contracts some OF
them stated that they were dissat-
lsned because they had been promis.
ca that if they took spuce IN the
plate, their competitors would not be
4 admitted, but they were admitted
4 Others said they responded and took
space because it was represented to
them that the solicitor was in the
4 employ OF the publisher of The Idaho
/ III
\ Republican and that made a differ
Ience with their decision. Others said
ut was represented to them that this
mouse plate" scheme was one Of Mr.
lIrego,s own get-up, and they thought
llt clever and worthy of response on
their part, and naturally they felt an
moved at being deceived into patron.
lzlng a Spokane firm instead of the
local man. Some understood that II
would be published IN the newspaper
IN crimson, either because the model
lexhibited to them by the solicitor was
Icrlmson, or because he told them If
would be. That would invorve much
extra expense which the solicitor did
not care to pay for and did not en-
gage, but the publisher printed Il
tnat way the first insertion lust he
cause It was more attractive and he
wanted to give the advertisers the
BEST service he could.
The advertisers have been very
generous about it and blamed them
selves and the solicitor for the mis-
understandings or misrepresenta-
lions, though the publisher in such
eases generally gets censured very
lliberally.
A reasonable way to treat all such
Proposltions made by strangers is
Ito ring up or visit the local news
paper or dealer, as the case may be.
and see II the strangers representa-
|tions are true and fairly stated, or
|see If the local firm can supply what
The stranger is offering, and at sim
Iilar prices for similar quality. Ex-
perience is a good teacher ana IL
teaches over and over again. that
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