Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-05-29
FTNA NOE AND ADVERTISING.

There are many angles from which
tho business OF advertising may, and
at times must. be viewed. at the
anolnent we wish to view the adver-
Lising question from the standpoint
of the advertiser who resorts to
schemes through which he may eX-
plot his wares or his products before
shc public without paying for the
space used in newspaper or magazine,
* part Of whose business is to sell
advertising space in the ordinary
course Of legitimate business.
Several weeks ago. at a time when
we we're so busy as to preclude the
possibility of giving close attention
t." all matters OF detail in correspond
encc, we received letter from one
Of the department heads Of Winthrop
college requesting that, as matter of
focal Interest, we give space to seve-
raa prize essays, which Of course, we
p" were glad to agree to do. This state
nent escaped us: "The winners in
these prize essay contests will receive
valuable prizes presented by large
food houses"
This week we had time to 60 into
sha body matter Of the essays
splendid articles, all Of them--and
H@ and hidden therein the matter for
which the food houses" are willing
5<a give valuable prizes to the writ
ers---oamely, the casual reference to
&he manufacturer or to his product.
mo scheme Is neat one, and so
cs@verly cloaked as doubtless to have
lett the competitors for the prizes,
;fad maybe the college authorities
themselves. totally innocent of any
suspicion Of a scheme to get adyer-
htsing space In many publications and
tHfCniated In thousands of homes for
the cost Of a few valuable prizes"
AE ss long-range play Of long g-headed
3nsiness men who know that if they
were to offer to the publisher a pack
age OF their "food' or pound Of their
product" in exchange for the adver
eising space thus utilized. the pub
a'sher would, by the operation OF the
s''ederal postal laws, be forced to
mark the article advertisement" or
subject himself to a fine for violation
"f the newspaper-postal laws Of from
$500 to $4,000.
we have no fault to find with the
Winthrop College authorities in get
ting this matter before the public as
Il stimulus to the production Of good
essays on the part Of students: we
have TO fault to find with the saga
G@9ns manufacturers seeking to ex-
EISJis their products at minimum
expense OF a few valuable prizes"
hut rather feel constrained to ad-
yntre and to praise their nerve: and
certainly we have no fault to find
with the young ladies who have
shown such ability as essayists. We
do find fault, however, with those
newspapers that publish this class of
Hhatter to the advantage Of the large
sesGn0 facturer and to their own hurt.
DnQnestionably those newspapers
have a right to do it If they feel so
sBclined, but 1t is poor business to
say the least. The space that Is thus
secured gratis in the small newspa-
per Is similar to that which these
same manufacturers gladly put down
ffEona $500 to $4,000 for single in
sanadon in the great magazines, ac-
eowFaing to the space and position oc-
enpied by the "ad."
We are publishing this week, in
order to keep our promise to the Win
throp authorities, two OF these essays,
and they are most admirable papers,
well worth reading for the informa-
aion contained. The reader will note,
nowever, that where the article con-
ttains reference to manufacturer or