The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-08-24

coming back and establishing new
papers In the county and bust" him
in business. The people had always
shown themselves willing and
anxious to patronize every new news
paper that started. and for the first
few months at least, the new paper
gets the cream of the business no
matter what are its policies. So long
as the people divide their patronage
Unfortunately no man can afford
to put his money and his efforts into
building up newspaper that is in
any degree better or more reliable
and more trustworthy than the worst
one in the county. for the existing
conditions and existing system in
business, and especially in city and
county business gave the advantage
to the paper whose editor showed
the least self-reliance and self re-
spect.
1t was also suggested that so many
people are disloyal; that when they
have favors to ask they go to a news
paper that they can depend on when
they are in trouble or need, but when
they have money to spend and print
ing to be done they take it to some
body else. When the editors discuss
ed this phase of human nature it was
suggested that If person has fun
eral notice to have published, they
want it in the paper that has the
most character, but the next week
or the next omnth when they have
legal notice for publication regard
ing the settlement of the estate Of
the deceased, they do not want it to
appear in that paper, and they take
tion, They can find. The funeral no.
tice usually takes up considerable of
a writer's time and must be given
careful attention, but it makes no
income for the office; nothing but an
expense bill and an accommodation
for the family and their friends. The
legal notice requires no preparation
by the newspaper writer and good
price is paid for inserting it in the
paper. The editors in their discus
sion of these matters had to admit
that no man can afford to publish the
best paper in the county so long as
financially and give the worst papers
the best Of it financially. Each man
admitted that if the consolidation
was made he would want to be the
managing editor or the treasurer,
and that if he discharged one of the
others he would expect that man to
go out and start another paper and
take away the cream of his business
for awhile. Finally one of them
proposed that there be q consolida-
ton Of the newspapers in one organ
ization and that commercial or job
printing be given up and the others
consolidate on that. It would be
easier for men to agree on the simple
methods of job shop that has no
public policies to expound, no can
didates that it can help or hinder,
no exposures that it can make thru
the press and no compliments that
it can publish. But it was said by
the others that the public would
think it was monopoly and would
oppose it even tho they were getting
their job printing service more
promptly and in better quality at
lower prices. They would be agitat-
ing to get a competitor into the
county, and as soon as one came he
would get the cream of the bsiness
for while just the same as the new
newspaper would. 1t would be as
disastrous to the public interest as
to have two telephone systems oper-
ating in the same town but the pub
lie had not yet learned enough about
it to appreciate the disadvantages OF
increasing the number of printing
houses. The editors usually agreed
after each discussion of the subject,
that it would have to take its course
and be worked out thru toll and
trouble, and that at some distant
time in the future solution might
be found.
XIV.
An editor was out driving in the |
country one day and talked with |
farmer who said he was sick of the |
country and wanted to sell out. If
would give him $500 he
would give him clear title to all he
had. The editor was fond of trades
and said he had relative back east
who had been writing to him about
getting farm and had wanted to
come out but he had not given him
much encouragement. If he was here
he might buy that farm, he had
plenty of money and could pay cash.
He looked over the farm rather care
fully and said it was just what his
friend wanted, but it was altogether
too cheap; that he would pay $4,000
Just as quick as he would pay $500,
and maybe quicker. He was sure
hat if he wrote him all about it and
hen took trip back there and
brought him back with him he could
engineer the sale at $4,000. He was
willing to do that and would split
he commission with the farmer If
ne, the farmer, would advance the
$3.50 for the expense of the trip east.
t would be sure to sell the farm at
! price that would give the man
$3.50, or $3.50 more than he was
lsking. The farmer fell for the
and rode right into town
ind borrowed the $3.50 and handed
t to the editor. He was so sure OF
he good sale that he forgot he was
PARTING with money for which he had