The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-05-03
Kato Advertising Men Took
Action Last Evening
ADDRESS FROM BUCKBEE
P. N. Ferguson Appeared Be-
fore Organization; Supper
Preceded Session


of Minnesota was a unanimous action
at last evenings meeting of the Man
kato Advertising club, held in the
Episcopal church guild hall
American flags, as well as those of
nations allied with this one in, the
struggle against autocracy, adorned
the tables and the room. An excellent
supper was served by the ladies of
Bishop Gilbert Chapter of the Guild
of the Episcopal church.
Immediately after the repast, Of
ficers were elected as follows: Presi-
dent. ]. c. NARROW; vice president,
Ed BRETT; secretary and treasurer, l..
J. Ventre.
Charles E. Buckbee of the Buckbee-
Mears company, st. Paul, designer
and engraver, addressed the club on
the application of art in advertising.
His address was illustrated with ster-
eoptican slides, which were manipu
lated by Buck Brown, son of r. Il.
Brown Mr.. Buckbee made a great
point of mistake that is often made
by advertisers of trying to put too
much into certain given space. He
showed advertisements that had too
much ornamentation, thus drawing
attention away from the main thought
that the advertisement was intended
TO impress on the reader. He showed
some advertisements where there was
great deal of white space. Some
advertisers might think it waste to
have so much white space, and yet
that white space set off in bold relief
the prominent features of the ad-
vertiSement, making it far more ef-
fective, than it would be if the ma
terial were crowded Mr.. Buckbee
said care should be taken not to put
too many ideas into a single adver-
tiSement.
Ads Out of Date.
Mr.. Buckbee showed advertisements
that were impaired in their effect by
out date illustrative features. He
showed one in which a woman ap-
peared in a costume that had Ions
since gone out of vogue. This made
the whole advertisement look cut of
date. Another showed in which a
man appeared with "whiskers of the
year 1849" and the effect of the adj
vertisement was impaired.
c.. w. Fisher, the retiring president,
remarked at the close of the address
that Mr.. Buckbee was right in think
ing that many business men used too
much copy in their advertisements.
He was trying to get away from that
tendency.
The club extended to Mr.. Buckbee
a rising vote of thanks.
p. NJ. Ferguson, manager of the
al
pany, called attention to the fact that
through the efforts of the state rail-
road and warehouse commission, the
two big telephone companies of the
state, the Tri-state and the North
western, had been induced to divide
the business of the state, and thus
economize The plan was to combine
the frequently duplicated telephone
service, and if there should be an in
crease of rates under these war con-
ditions, it was likely to be only a
slight one. The matter had been I'M
der consideration for the last three
months.
He said most of the commercial or
PLANTATIONS of the state and all of
the telephone companies were adj
VlS6Q OIL the Ihdl was hCiu o'i
the subject on Monday. He appeared
before the commission at the hearing.
He declared that. no objections what
ever were interposed at the hearing.
He said the report that an objection
had come from the city of Redwing
was not correct The matter was
not understood at Redwing, and the
attorney that represented that city was
merely there to inquire as to the act
ual condition of affairs. He was there
to get information and no objection
was really interposed
Will Divide the State.
The proposition was to divide the
state along line running east and
west through the twin cities. All
south of that line was to go to the
Tri- State and all north of that line
to the Northwestern. Thus the Tri-.
State would take over the interest Of
the Northwestern in the Mankato
neighborhood. 1t would have the eff
feet of unifying the telephone systems,
and cut out the duplication Of service.
Mr.. Ferguson said the state rail-
road and warehouse commissioners
were going to appear before the de-
partment of justice at washington 10
get the sanction of that department
for the unification of the telephone
service in Minnesota, before proceed
ing with the change But before go
ing, the commissioners would like to
have the Endorsement of the business
organizations, including those at Man
kato He suggested that the Mankato
hdyerticinp club adOpt a resolution
sanctioning the unifcation of service.
C. w. Fisher remarked that some
peopIe had expressed the fear that if
the Mankato Citizens Telephone
company should obtain exclusively the
telephone business in Mankato, the
Northwestern system being merged
into it, the Citizens company might
become oppressive from the fact that
Continued On Page Seven.