The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-15
AD CLUB TAXES UP ENFORCING OF LAW Committee Named to Work
 Out Holberg's Plan TO USE TRUTH SEAL" If Misleading Statement Is Made by Advertiser Permit to Use Seal Is
 Revokcd-J. J. Smith Speaks
 on the Subject
TO USE TRUTH SEAL"

plan by which the Birmingham
 Ad club proposes to guarantee to readers of advertising in Birming- the regular weekly luncheon of the ad club at the Newspaper club yes terday by President F. J. Holberg of
 the club. Mir. Holberg's plan provides
 that all advertisers in Birmingham be
 permitted to use the truth seal' of the ad club in their advertising, with the proviso that If ever they should make false or misleading statement in their
 advertising the privilege would be with agree to indemnify the club for any loss it might incur in protecting the reader
 of the advertising who might sustain a
 loss through the ad.
 A committee composed of c. w, Rob- erts, chairman; Frank Hammond and R. T. Daniels. was appointed by Presi- dent Holberg to work out the plan along the lines suggested above and report to the next weekly luncheon of the club.
 Indorsed by Club MT. Holberg proposed, and secured the
 indorsement of the club to nis proposl-
 tion. that the club see to 1t that the new state law against fraudulent ad- vertising be strictly enforced, insofar as the club was capable in aiding in It's enforcement.
 J. J. Smith was called upon for his views on the subject by MT. Holberg. Mr. Smith agreed that truth in adver- tising was essential to it's efficiency Sooner or later" he said. Ian advertiser gets a reputation for veracity, or ne gets a reputation of being a liar. The use of the truth seal by advertisers would but tend to impress vividly upon the minds of the advertising reading public the fact that the advertisement In which the seal appears is a statement of fact, and that 1t is backed by the ad club of Bir- mingham.
 Newspaper advertising does two things. One Is to create desire for an article advertised. The other is to give news, and I am persuaded that the rat ter Is the most important Advertising is really news and advertisers should give in their columns news of values they have to offer.
 The more a merchant realizes that he must give real news to his readers, the
 more results he will get from his ad- vertisirg. He must not expect to have everybody in town come running to his
 
 there are many people who do not want the article advertised at that particular time, but who will want 1t later, and who will be attracted to his store by his ad- vertising."
 Cullen Explains Plan H. D. Cullen explained in detail the proposed plan of the club for guaran- teeing advertising readers of the truth of the advertising they read. l.. T. Stern followed MT. Cullen in talks along the same lines, and R. T. Daniels made a mittee to go into the matter and ar range the details. which was done. After the disposal of the business be- fore the club. MT. Holberg called upon w. Garnett Lee of Barron G. Collier for an address. MT. Lee said he returned to Birmingham about a month ago after an absence of seven years.
 t'I was absolutely astonished,' said he, lat the immense growth of this city I had been told that Birmingham was 'on the bum;' that hard times had the peo- pie here in it's grip; that l could get no business here; that there was nc meney here. That was untrue Birming- i, ham is not on the bum. It is one or the Invest towns have visited and the com- pany I represent has secured more busi- ness in Birmingham during the last four weeks than 1t has secured anywhere else during the past two years. Birmingham may have felt hard times once; 1t does not feel that way about 1t now and the people here are more optimistic than have found in many months"