The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-04-12

is necessary from me to cause them
to be handled as they should be. If
the proposition" is travelling about
Of its own momentum, guaranteeing
to you "long life and much sunshine"
for your paper, but void of tangible
emoluments to you or your paper,
there are exits in all newspaper Of
fees through which such PROPOSE
tons" should be ushered, if it is trav-
cling of its own locomotion. If it is
presented through letters or circulars,
then the waste basket, cuspidor, coal
or wood box, or whatever other recep-
tacle1 is used for waste is the place to
store all such "moonshine or blue
sky" proposals. Of course, even a
cursory glance at such trash is often
waste of valuable time, but trou-
BILE, like the poor, we have with us al
ways, especially in the average run of
country newspaper offices.
There is one suggestion, however, in
this regard that would like to make
resound without ceasing in the brain
of every newspaper worker, and that
is that many country editors are too
willing to accept advertising from
parties entirely unknown to them, SO
long as they contain suggestion of a
cash return. No unknown advertise
ment should be accepted before in
formation is obtained as to the finan-
cial responsibility of those whom the
advertisement represents.
Several months ago the newspaper
offices throuhgout this section were
visited with an advertising PROPOSE
ton, offering local rates, of an al
legged land company located in the far
northwest, offering attractive land
prices. Many papers "fell for it,, and
am sorry to say that some papers
in this part of the State were still
carrying this advertisement up to a
very short time ago-in fact may pos
sibly be doing so yet. Yet this So
called land company was one OF the
cheapest" possible grafters, paying
absolutely no attention to statements
rendered, unless it was to move their
office when unpaid statements crowd
ed them unduly. Such laxity in the
management, or lack of management,
of newspaper offices have an immeas-
urable tendency in cheapening adver-
Using space, not only in the papers
whose managers have committed such
"breech of trust, might say, but
this absolute lack of business ability
must be met and overcome even by
those editors and managers who were
in no way responsible for such abso-
lutte lack of business ability.
A new era of things is now ap-
preaching, and in the newspaper bus
mess it will be more marked than in
most other lines of business. Into the
hands of the newspaper men them
selves is now left the working out of
their own salvation" If they are sat
isfed with their present "hand to
mouth" existence, laboring long hours
on short rations. If they would ele-
vate their business to the high alti-
| tude it was manifestly intended it
should occupy, then that much-to-be-
desired result can also be accomp-
lished, and in comparatively brief
space of time, If the country editors
will but raise their sights. The SOON
err they puncture the iron cross and
paralyze the Kaiser, the sooner will
they deliver themselves of their slav-
cry. But business must be injected
into the newspaper offices before this
greatly to be desired condition can be
brought into being.
Just a word before closing in re-
gard to the Third Liberty Loan Bonds,
the proposed four-weeks drive on
which will be started today. | am
particularly pleased with the manner