The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-07-14

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dividuals, what do they owe the state
and what do you owe them and wha
does the state owe them. 1t is of thes
things | want to talk with you gentle
men that you may know to some ex
tent at least how the newspaper maj
looks upon you as q public, upon tn
state and upon the problems whicl
confront you as well as him.
AS workman he is worthy of hi
hire, In your personal dealings will
the newspaper cndition in your com
mun1ty, your natural gravita ton, un
less you are hidebound in your polite,
al faith, will be to the superior of the
two papers, the one that serves yor
the best and most reliable news, the
one that takes the greater pride in the
workmanship of his product in the
composing room as well as in the ed
itorlal sanctum. Your attitude toward
the condition your field may present
will assert itself almost unconscious
ly. You will know value when you see
it in the newspaper field as we'll as
In the store. The newspaper editor
owes you fair deal as an individual,
his community fair deal and if he
does not give it he is soon upon the
rocks. The condition of fair play be-
tween the newspaper and his public is
assured if the editor is in the news
paper business and not in some other
business which he is using the news
paper to foster. Invariably the news
paper with the Interior motive fails
much sooner and much oftener than
the general public credits the fact. So
there is no need to dwell upon phase
of the situation which acts automatic
ally to the gain or loss Of the individ-
ual most interested from the pecuni-
airy standpoint. But there is a certain
duty devolving upon the public and
upon the state. When the appeal came
in the war we were given lesson in
the value of publicity through the
printed page. Direct appeal was
made no less to the country press than
to the city dailies for what was in
reality advertising space. Instead,
however, of the government paying
directly for this publicity the regular
advertiser was importuned to pay for
the governments display advertising.
The publisher sometimes lost the reg
ular advertising space of his patron
for the particular war effort advertas-
ing at the time under motion. 1t was
true that there were occasional non
advertisers who bought and paid for
the government display ads. 1t is a
question whether the publisher made
or lost In the general results from this
advertising, but in the country's need
he did not bother himself whether he
lost or made by the transaction. 1t
was the way Uncle Sam wanted it !
done and in time Of war no questions
are asked and no criticisms of pro-
cedure made
AS one of the aftermaths of the war
the game of publicity so well put over
by the government has had many i'm
ltators. The desk of the country edi-
tor is filled with mail from those
seeking to get their wares before the
public Every department of state
government, every bureau, every state
institution and oftentimes different
departments of the same agency are
making their appeals for publicity,
Advertising, the thing that the news
paper has for sale. The appeal is
made not to the business Judgment of
The man whose wares are his adver-
Using columns, but to that zeal and
interest which it is presumed he must
eel in all attempts that are made for
he education, uplift and enlighten-
nent of his fellows. His stock in
rade being his columns it must of
necessity follow that if he attempts
0 print even small portion of the
publicity matter sent him it must be
lot only at loss of his columns for
What he considers the duty he owes
is subscribers in the matter of real
ews, but in actual cost to him for adj
ltional help in the setting of such
opy, the additional news print it may J
AXE to accommodate the same to his
utilization and the other items of ex-
ense that creep in as result of the !
tempt to enlarge the size and scope
his paper.
The same agencies perhaps which :
SIX for the favors of publication for :
ne particular bureau or branch of :
tate government or public endeavor =
lay return the compliment of such :
utilization by going into the market :
,r the placing Of such commercial :
rinting as may be at their disposal :
force competition from some vag- !,
int job office which has no overhead !,
speak of, and which makes no re-
I'm to the individual, the state or
e agency of whatsoever sort seeking r
lblicity through the columns of the =
Ultimate avenue to the public. [
If the publicity is of value to the
,ency which sends it out, and it must T
or it would not be sent out, then
e element of fairness would direct i
return of courtesies at least, and
oper consideration of the agency
ught for such publicity.
An adjustment of the complaints of a,
e newspaper publisher in this re- :,
I'd may be more deep seated in the us
use of good government in your ~
ate, for instance, than you might ST
nsider at first blush. The newspaper III
blisher understands as you must
at the future security of this coun- y
7, the future development of and Oh
II being Of your state depend large
upon the printed page 1t is that
on which the great majority of the
3ple depend for their information in M
gard to public affairs. He knows nj
power which he holds between the fir,
Uses upon his printing press If e.
finds that rewards go to those who ~
,stitute their columns to the cum re-