The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-04-27
FORREST IS PRESIDENT
EDITORS OF DISTRICT
LAKE WILSON PILOT MAN
CHOSEN FOR HONOR
n. w. HaisIet of st. lanes Given Second
Place in List Of Officers; Mrs. Bessie
Wilson, Redwood Falls, Elected
Secretary; W. r. Mailer, Springfield,
Is Treasurer; Meeting Here Saturday
Was Pleasant and Profitable Affair

was Pleasant and Profitable Affair
From Mondays Daily.
Robert Forrest. editor of The Pilot
Lake Wilson, president.
Herman w. Haislet, editor of Tn,
Independent st. James, vice presi.
dent. ..#az.
sess M. Wilson, editor of TIL,
Gazette, Redwood Falls, secretary.
w. +. Mailer, editor of The Spring
field Advocate, Springfield, MINI.
treasurer. .-..... 1...-. ..s-......
Above are the names of the new
officers of the Second District Edi-
torial association, elected during the
annual meeting held at the Heinrich
Hotel Saturday afternoon. The execu-
tive committee will be appointed by
the president. 81 FL. . ...-
The association went on record as
passing resolution that it should
be rule of the association that all
members should charge $3.50 or
more for weekly newspapers. 1t was
unanimously decided to raise the
annual membership dues for 1918 to
81. The new president appointed j. r.
Hubin Of Butterfeld. l.. c. Church
i'll of Window and H. Hayden
of Lakefield, as resolutions
committee, to pass resolutions of
thanks to the local newspapers, the
automobilists who were to give the
editors a trip over the city, Larry
Ho" for an excellent address given,
Landlord Edward Zimmerman for
the good accommodations, and others
who had conferred favors upon the
association. u "a
The afternoon was devoted to
discussion of the vital matters which
interest newspaper men at the pres
ent time, but although the discussions
were serious they were enlivened by
the proverbial good humor and wit
which is expected of the newspaper
profession. .
Among those who spoke during the
impromptu program of the afternoon
were George w. Kelly of The Free
Press of st. Peter, who strongly adj
vised the cash in advance basis for
subscriptions as well as advanced
rates, and suggested that the yearly
rate ought to be raised from $3.50 to
81 to keep pace with the high cost
of print paper, and other increased
prices with which the editors have
to deal.
Philip Liesch, who presided as
president of the association during
the first half of the meeting, also
expressed the opinion that the paid
in advance system was the only sys-
tenn which the newspaper profession
could profitably follow. Others who
spoke on the subscription PROPOSE
ton were Herman Haislet of ST.
James and Frank Day of Fairmont.
The Print Paper Situation.
Mr.. Liesch spoke on the print pa
per proposition. and the high cost of
materials and labor which was
brought out during the discussions
proved the absolute necessity of in
creased advertising rates, and paid
in advance increased subscription
price.
Frank Day made request that
Larry Ho" be asked to give talk
on THE Degeneracy of the City
Press" which was hailed with laugh
ter and applause by the editors.
Larry Ho," with becoming modesty,
endeavored to evade such publicity,
but was not allowed to escape with
out giving a talk. Mr.. Day remarked
that the twin city newspapers were
not what they were twenty years ago,
and Larry Ho humorously agreed,
stating that he had been working on
them himself twenty years ago.
Larry Ho scathingly criticized the
feeling of rivalry which exists be-
tween the newspapers of the present
day. ...
Unfortunate in st. Paul. Il
1--WE are in a peculiarly unfor-
tunate position in st. Paul." said he,
sand there isn't a matter of public
interest that comes up that will get
the support of both papers. If one
paper gets something that the other
paper doesn't get all harmony is at an
end, and anything of a public nature
that is taken up by one newspaper is
damned by the other There is only
one thing that the papers are agreed
upon. At the top column of the first
page they print the weather report,
upon which they are always unani-
mously agreed, and always wrong"
After the laughter had subsidized he
paid a graceful tribute to the late
Smith Hall, stating that with his
passing there came an end to the old
days of newspaper writer's. Although
Smith Hall died without dollar to
his name on the day Of his funeral
rich and poor alike gathered to pay
homage to his memory
Il, individuality Is Discouraged.
"Today there isn't any man who
could duplicate him on the twin city
papers. The papers are now ma
chimes, which discourage individuality
on the part of any of their employees,
they discourage all personal activ-
tiles of anyone connected with the
papers, which have. become largely
commercial machines, with neither
soul nor character. The only power
that is left to keep, public opinion
sweet and wholesome is the country
press" Continuing his grilling of the
newspaper boys who through good
natured carelessness allowed the
general public and the legislature to
"get the best of them,' especially in
the matter of passing bills directly
opposed to the interests of newspa
per men, he showed that newspaper
men generally always got the worst
of it. Bills up for passage that affect
ed men in other professions were