Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-08-15

| American boat in the first interna-
| tional yacht race, The America first
and the rest nowhere" we'll describes
| the position Of the competing craft in
a newspaper race. The Book says ITO
| him that hath shall be given The
psychology of the increasing success OF
| a success is more notable in our
business than in any other that 1 know
of. This is SO because the newspape,
is the manifestation Of average human
| nature and creature of good will al
| most solely, and human beings are So
made that they can not have two
favorites of equal value at the same
time. One must occupy first place in
the mind to the exclusion of all others
from anything approaching the lead
ing position. In moderate-sized town
! there may be two stores or two hotels
of practically even merit each with its
customers and partisans who think
that one or the other is the best. But
in which one Of your towns does the
same condition prevail among the rival
newspapers? If there are two or three,
the second and third will each have its
readers and advertisers who for var
ious reasons read and advertise in it.
These reasons may be political, social.
or personal. But let general in
quiry be made by diSinterested
stranger and he will. find that three
fourths Of the people whom he inter-
views will name one paper as the lead
er in the field whether they read it or
not. And in the end most Of them will
read it. This reputation of being the
first in the field is what every pub
Usher should strive for. 1t Is that
which gives his property its greatest
value. am glad to learn from outside
sources that the papers represented in
this association almost without eXcep-
ton occupy the fortunate position in
the towns in which they are published.
l can not counsel you too strongly to
hold on to this position at whatever
cost. Once lost it is hard to regain;
once gained it is hard to lose. And
You may take it as an axiom that the
lead If lost is lost from the inside of
the fortification and not as the result
OF outside attack alone One of the
quickest and surest ways to lose the
strong position is to thoroughly con-
vince yourself that you hold it so
strongly that you do not need to fight
any longer. that the business is yours
and that the public must come to you
whether or no. This soon degenerates
on the part of yourself and your en-
ployes into the take it or leave it"
attitude. When this characterizes an
organization. the public soon learns to
leave it," and the first thing you
know the other fellow has the BUSH
ness. So r# a.
Circulation is so much the important
thing that ii would be belittling Your
Judgment to enlarge upon a truth so
obvious. But 1t is not out of place TO
say that circulation is acquired only
by merit. You must deliver the goods
every day and all the time. A brilliant
newsy paper once or twice a week and |
dull, insufficient one. the other days |
VIII not get You anywhere. A poor
newspaper and a rich premium list |
never yet built up solid circulation |
or permanently injured the circulation |
of the real newspaper from which It |
got its temporary gains
Given circulation and character ad-
vertising is easy. Easy TO get that is |
but not so easy to hold if you do not !
yourself believe in its value. II you |
honestly believe in its value you will !
respect your rate card and abide by it |
at all times. and under all circum-
stances. When You cut rate. you
intlict a wound on your own throat. |
II you slash often enough you will |
reach the jugular and bleed to death. !
The policy of one price to all custo-
mers, and that ma rked IN plain figures |
was only discovered after countless |
thousands Of years of trafficking. but !
-
When your most enterprising merchant |
grows so great that he demands a spe- |
cial rate. ask him TO give YOU a special
low price on all the goods yourself and |
family may purchase and to let you
print that price in your paper. Learn |
to kow that which you have to sell has |
just as definite a hard cash value as |
the goods on the shelves of the mar-
chant. But don't forget the difference
between your position and his. regard |
ing sales. II he does not sell his goods |
today he has them on hand to sell to-
morrow When you go to press today |
your chance to sell your seasonable |
goods-foday's space-is gone A col |
umn of space that you might have |
used for advertising today is gone and
you'll never realize a penny on it. |
Therefore push your advertising men
and your advertisers as If today's |
paper was the last one you are ever |
going to print. 1t is the last one so far
as its allotment for advertising space |
is concerned. That water will never
flow down the mill race again. You
must turn it into power when it passes |
the wheel or lose it forever.
l car not urge you too stryrgly to
work steadily and hard on your CLASH |
fed departments. They constitute not |
only the bone but the sinew which holds |
together the bones Of many a success
full paper. Spare no effort and no rea-
sonable expense to get not only your
townspeople, but your county readers |
to use the liners. Make the rate rea-
sonable for time insertions with a |
noticeable discount for six or more in
sertions Of the same ad. Classify care
fully and keep display, beyond cap
or Gothic catch word for each ad, out
Of your classified columns. This gives |
every advertiser. large or small. the |
same chance to attract attention 1t |
makes the classified column easy read
ing and you print little matter in your
news columns that is more carefully
read There is circulation of the most
solid character, and good deal of 1t
in live classified page and instead Of
its costing you money you are paid for
printing this desirable class of news.
Summing up briefly some of the
things already said and summarizing
some others which the time limit does
not permit me to enlarge upon, let me