The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-05
j. a
papers MT N UNFAIR
WAysDEclAREsAEIEN
Seattle Journalist Attacks
Governments Treatment
of Press.
NOTABLE ADDRESSES
Unpaid-for Advertising Not
Just, Editors Tell
Meeting.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

present war, Mr. Blethen declared that
the government must help business to
run as usual in order that taxes may
be paid and savings converted in war
bonds. He said that to deprive news
papers of fair amount of the news
of the day would be to stifle one side
of their business; to expect them to
give free space to help the govern.
ment sell bonds is to deprive them Of
another side of their business. and to
put any special tax on them would
mean a third hardship.
The government, by preaching its
philosophy Of business as usual. de-
cides that a publisher should be paid
for such advertising space as the
treasury department may need in SELL
ing Liberty bonds" said Mr.. Blethen.
1T was all right in the first bond is
sue for everybody to give services and
commodities. but certainly in begin
ming the next one, We should have a
more businesslike arrangement. and
the government should pay as it goes.
Entirely separate from this, OF
course, the newspapers should in
every way be patriotic and IN 'he'r
editorials and general conduct ASSIST
the government in the selling OF ooii"s
and the collection of taxes.
"As to the censorship of news, take
the ground that it is a good thing ana
that it does not interfere with our
boasted freedom of the press. The
freedom OF the press Is sort OF I'M
written franchise given the publishers
of the United States in order that they
may serve the people and any discus
sion of the freedom of the press should
start from the hypothesis that the
freedom for which one is arguing Will
be used to serve and not in any way
to mislead or abuse the people"
In referring to the Times Mr.. Rleth-
en- declared that in order for him to
draw his salary every month it was
necessary for the company to take in
from $4,000 to $4,000 every month
and that three tenths of the sum came
from circulation, while the other sew
en-tenths was derived from advertis-
ing.
But do not conclude from this that
the aflvertiser> is hossc'' aided Mr..
Rlethen, ION the contrary, the read
er is boss of our paper and 1t can
never be said that the advertiser mas
control Of the Seattle Times.
Take for instance in the two pro-
hibition campaigns. the Times was on
the losing side, but the next time we
are going to be on the winning SIDE
for we have learned that the people
want prohibition and it is business Ell
ficiency for us to stand by the people
Our readers"
Mr.. Blethen said that there We're
three kinds of news in his paper
First. what the people must have; see :
ondly, what they want, and thlrd
what they should have. and he added
that the Times gives them quantity
Of each.
In conclusion Mr.. Blethen said:
1.-The newspaper game is business
and much like every other business
You must have confidence in. yourself
and then tackle your work with de-
termination. Don't feel sure that YOU
are above competition-it viii come
sooner or later and YOU must be pre-
pared for it,
Mr.. Scanlan in his paper on Gov
arn,nent Advertising Should IN
paoers Give Free Space" declared
ina, he would answer the question: ~
asking another question when was
..Should the merchant the naha'ae-
,nrer and other businesses oiier 'he''
wares gratuitously
Newspaper advertising is com
n,oaity.' said Mr.. Seaman. 1T Is IN
product of labor and is offered Tor san
M a fixed price. commensurate VIII
i,s cost, as is any other article o
yaue that is turned out OF the WORK
shon. Upon the revenue from IN
sale Of this product, the newspaper II
tha main. depends for it's sustenance
Denriye 1t of this and you have eur
JAILED it's capacity to earn
That Germany does not regard IN
United States as an enemy that WI
nave to be reckoned with in this wa
and that the kaiser believes he vii
win the conflict by cutting off the foo
snnply of the allies by submarin
methods, was the keynote of the ad
dress by Professor Atkinson on tn
subject of food conservation.
THE problem before the food ad
ministration Is to see that adequat
quantities of food needed by the allie
are shipped to them In the most con
centrated form and at the same tim
assure ample food for home con
sumption" said Mr.. Atkinson. "fh
food administration does not expec
the American people to eat less thai
usual or TO live more cheaply thai
usual except in the saving that WI
come from the reduction of waste. !
does not expect the people to eat lie,
nut TO eat substitutes for that taf
that can be shipped easily across tn
water"
Mr.. Atkinson went on to explain I
the editors the various phases of tn
food administration and concluded hi
address with an appeal to the news
paper men to cooperate with the gov
erpment in the food conservatio
work.
The business session concluded wit
a luncheon at the Florence hotel give
by the Missonla Rotary club in homo
of the visiting newspaper men. A
5nformal talk by Mr.. Blethen, in whic
f,o declared that civic shirt MAS