Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-12-11
The Journal Waste. Basket.
(Kennebec Journal.)

The editor has waste basket that ia
two feet high and 18 inches across the
top, inside. Every day 1t Is we'll filled,
sometimes run over, with good paper
that cost high price, wasted because
somebody, OF Arm, or organization,
wants the Journal to do for them what
they do not wish to pay for themselves.
In justice we should say that nearly II
not all these claims for our space con-
tain real merit In varying degrees.
Many OF them urge upon US the personal
or composite views of organized effort
on problems with which the Journal Is
already doing its best and all 1t can, TO
solve In It's own way.
The logic of braddipg the free OK, be-
cause the other wont pull anyway, was
never so tremendously overdone as to-
day in "lettiDg the press do it," Every.
body from the government down, who
awakeus to his or her "bit" jumps up to
urge the press to do it-and save e1-
pense 10 them.
Many of these applicants for free
transportation of their ideas to others
are entirely innocent. They are con-
vinced of the merit of their propaganda
and see no reason why the newspapers
should not use it in place of some of the
things they do use.
Others are not 80 innocent. They
know that every inch has q basic cost.
They know that honest advertisers are
willing to pay that basic cost and "fair
profit" for the sake of reaching the
public. But these unfair p,cpagardists
and selfish advertisers pay big salaries to
experts to disguise their advertising as
"news" and secure its circulation free.
The United States government is one
of the worst of these offenders. 1t has
few rivals-the moving picture business,
the automobile business, and some of
the boards of trade locality booming
schemes. The various departments of
government 60 to enormous expense In
some directions (colored posters for
recruits for army and navy, as an in
stance) and balk at the point upon
which the whole success of their ad-
vortisipg depends-consistent advertis-
ing In the press.
From seven postmasters, few days
ago, came Identical requests for free
publication of government circular ad-
vertising for help. That is only one act
of continuous performance; other de-
partments do likewise.
Every recruiting station posters the
newspapers far and near with its appeals
for volunteers. Friends of the Y. NJ. G.
A. and the Red Cross food the mails
from all directions for free space 10 aid
in their good work. A thousand and
one war fund organizations-Belg
relief, Serbian relief, Armenian relief,
Polish relief, relief for blind soldiers,
relief for orphaned children, French
war fund-have sprung into life; scores
of organizations under different names
for each meritorious work, until the
editor tears his hair and knows not
where to draw the line.
"Tbey are ALL worthy" you say.
Admitted, but should the publisher bear
the whole expense, and what should we
do with all of this tremendous mass that
is dumped upon usp If we used half
Of 1t there would not be line of news in
your paper.
The line must be drawn SOME
WHERE. Very we'll, then, who can do
1t with the greater degree Of justice to
all, you who want something or the man
who "sits on the lid" and has no biased
position in favor of this or of that?
After the newspaper has done its best
for this or for that worthy cause, why
should 1t be urged to do it all?
On any meritorious "drive" the Kenne-
bee Journal stands ready to do it's part. 1t
will share with comparatively small
number of men or business firms the
advertising campaign for a worthy
cause and to advocate it, but that is no
reason why it should b6 expected to
stand the whole expense of publicity
advertising until 1t is accomplished and
then take up another.
We are calling attention to these
things because many local enthusiasts
seem to think 1t is the newspapers
business to furnish unlimited space for
all meritorious projects of public ma
ture. Never has publisher seen time
when such demand has been made on
newspaper space as to. day. And never
has the basic cost of an inch of news
paper space been so great. There are
no opportunities for "war profits" in
the newspaper business. Good news
papers are receiving war wounds, many
times fatal, in every month that war
prices prevail.