New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-21
POINTS WAY TO
NEW EFFICIENCY
Premier Interested in
News as Well as Motor
Economy
BY HOMER M'KEE.
Advertising Manager, Premier Motor
Corporation.


What has the war got to do with the
price Of paper? Are soldiers in Eu-
rope wearing paper collars or are they
building bomb proofs out of papier
mache? IL has gotten TO such pretty
pass that one has almost TO sell the
piano or pawn the baby before he can
write a letter home for money.
There is a reason for the hen work
ers of America getting together ana
agreeing that it Is worth five cents to
lay an egg and we can in a way, ac-
cept their explanation that the war
does Il. But we are having an awful
time seeing the connection between hu-
rope and advertising rates. No DOUBT
the connection exists-we merely adj
nit that we can. see 1t.
But whether we see IL or not, the
cruel facts remain, and, as facts, they
must be faced and dealt with.
The newspapers are the heaviest hit.
The business manager OF one Chl-
cago paper told me that the increase
in the price Of white paper would cost
his paper alone 100000 during 1911
The same proportionate increase pre-
walls clear across the country.
Who is going 10 pay this chicago
paper its 100000?
And who is going to make up to the
composite American publisher Tor the
tremendous loss he is forced TO sus-
tain?
There are Just three courses open 20
him as | sec it. Either he can raise
the price Of his paper; he can raise
his advertising rates. or he can go
through his plant and economic and
cut out extravagances until he etects
saving that will tend to Offset his
losses.
Anv way you look at it he is between
the devil and the deep blue sea. IL
he raises the price of his paper he VIII
lose circulation, which, Of course,
means that he will lose advertising.
If he raises the price of his advertls-
ing rates he will lose advertising. Inc
moment that there is any perceptible
advance in advertising rates, advertls-
ing managers, as a rule, are gong 10
cut down the size of their space be-
cause they arc usually forced to stay
within their respective advertising ap-
preparations.
In my opinion, the answer lies in the
direction of space economy and the
elimination of eXtravagances whlch
have been accepted as necessary evils.
The first thing that ought to 90 IS
the comic supplement. Nobody cares
W.
and il costs like the very mischief.
Reporters, if they are on to their
Jobs. can quit writing a column ABOUT
a story that, from a news STANDPOINT
is not worth over a stick.
And a great big saving can be ell
fected if newspapers will discourage
the prostitution of their columns by
the professional publicity shark. Thea
tres, baseball and motor cars are the
worst offenders. Mention of these
things cannot be denied altogether. but
this mention can be put on strictly
news basis, and unless the hired writ
ers of theatres. baseball associations
and motor car factories are trained TO
discover real news and handle II IN
GOOD newspaper style their contribu-
tons should be waste basketed.
u is almost suicidal for any one
paper to attempt this reform single
handed. Some of the stronger ones
have done something in this direction,
but their success has been Of an indif-
ferent sort, and about all they have
accomplished has been to get them
selves wholesomely disliked.
The Premier Motor Corporation IS
strongly inclined toward the use OF
newspapers. The bulk of our advertis-
ing appropriation will be spent IN
newspapers. The news interest at
tached to the launching of revolu-
tionary car, with magnetic gear SHIFT
and aluminium motor, has resulted IN
wide newspaper comment The Amer
lean daily press has voluntarily put us
on the map, but we do not believe IN
riding a free horse TO death. and we
will do all in our power to help the
newspaper publisher in his dilemma.
In other words, we will attempt to or
ganize the news We create into read
able form and put it into the hands OF
the newspapers, but we are openly and
frankly against slush writing.
We would rather dispense with un-
earned publicity than submit TO a gen
eral raise in the cost of newspaper ad-
vcrtising. What say the rest OF the
motor car Industry