Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-10-27
RATES OF ADVERTISING.
ADVERTISING A COMM0DTTY.

paper TO lend its news and editorial
space TO the government to foster the
nations end at this time to aid the
cause Of Uncle Sam In every possi-
BILE way, 10 ask and expect free dis
play advertising space is quite
another thing.
No set Of people are more patriotic
than the newspaper publishers of the
country, and none would 60 further
or contribute more literally TO any
meritorious cause.
Should the paper give free space?
The answer TO that question is sim
ply asking another
Should the merchant, the manu-
facturer, the tinker. the tailor or the
candlestick-maker offer their respec-
tive wares to the government gratuit-
ously? Arguments for or against the
one may be used with equal force in
the case Of the other The instances
are identical and we fail to find basis
for logic resentatives in congress VINO
see TT to make a distinction
Newspaper advertising is COM
modify, the product OF labor, and is
offered for sale at fixed price, com
mensurate with its cost, as is any
other article of value that is turned
out of the workshop Upon the rev
enue from the sale of this product,
the newspaper in the main, depends
for its sustenance Deprive II of this
and you have curtailed its capacity
to earn. Fundamentally the same
principles apply to all lines OF busi-
nesses. More money must be taken
in than is paid ont If success is as
sured. When such a condition does
not obtain the one result is inevitable.
The instances where newspaper re-
ceipts far exceed the expenditures are
the exception rather than the rule.
The main reason for this is that they
do not get the maximum revenue out
OF their columns Publishers are too
prone to yield to the demands made
upon them for free publicity, which
are incessant.
For every public and semi-public
entertainment or celebration, expense
is incurred The decorations. the
music, and the divers and sundry
other things that contribute to tho
success of the affairs have value
placed upon them. Itemized bills are
presented ana checks are issued in
payment for same Seldom if ever,
will you see a voucher issued in pay
ment for publicity. The newspaper
publishers are supposed TO be phil
anthropists, and are expected TO turn
over their columns for the free use
of the public The popular impress
sion must be that they are securely
fortified with a Rockefeller founda-
ton fund or something of that sort.
and consequently so heeled financially
that they can withstand all demands
made upon them Chautauquas. fairs
and kindred amusement enterprises
are heartless and draw heavily upon
the advertising columns of the news
papers All of the talent contributory
to the success OF these excepting
those to whom the publicity end has
been entrusted are paid handsomely
for their services.
Here it is that the philanthropy
comes in again The publisher must
show that he is public-spirited and ex-
ert all of his best efforts to make the
box Office receipts sufficiently ade-
quate to crafty the exacting deman0
of the ambitiously financial promot-
ers. For the part that he plays in do
ing this he sometimes receives an ex-
preston of appreciation from those
who have been most vitality concerned,
but in many cases not even so much
as that AS a rule they are inclined
to regard his valuable contributions
toward their success as a mere matter
of course. Moreover, if they have
any printing to be done, the chances
are chat they will take il to another
job Office Their sense OF gratitude, if
they ever possessed any. has been
completely deadened, and as for their
conception Of reciprocity they
figure there amt no sich animal"