The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-07
newspapers not ).
PUD[|C-SP|R|TE
Members Trade Exten-
sion Bureau Chamber
Of Commerce Criticize
Local Press for Playing
Up Sensations as Of
Mo E Importance Than
Matters Of Constructive
Value, But ProveThem-
selves CONSTANT by
Declaring There Is a
Lack Of Cooperation
in Their Own Ranks
Bureau Is Urged to Reach
Out and Advertise to the
World the Vast Advan-
tages Offered by Rich
mond.

The newspapers OF Richmond came
In for scoring al the hands OF mem
bers OF the trade extension bureau OF
the chamber of commerce at the an
nuai meeting Of the bureau, which was
held last night in the Business Mems
club. The charge was made that the
papers are not puhlic-spiNtad; that
they are too prone TO play up police
court "scrapes' and other things that
do not matter" to the neglect OF the
big things that count" Advance no
tice of the meeting of the bureau. il
was cited, was dismissed in an item
OF about an inch in length" whereas
some other story. which n member OF
the bureau appraised as inconseQuen-
tiai. was given column or more.
Those who took occasion to criticise
the papers were C. II. Snow, vice. presi-
dent of the W: H Miles Shoe COM
pany.. and r. w. Williams. vice-presi-
dent OF the Stephen Putney Shoe COM
pany. The former does not think the
newspapers give as much space to the
big things as they should. The story
of the boiler plant on the Southside
for instance, was not played up'' "a
II should have been. In the opinion OF
the speaker. Mr.. Cole thought II
should have been prominently dis
played-..in big headlines" He did
hot AhAAuh LIE toGdi papers pOoGIGH
Richmond AS much as they should. He
cited the Atlanta papers as examples
of public-sptritedness. The Georgia
sheets" he said. never lose an oppor-
tunity to preach Atlanta to the rest
of the country. AS an afterthought he
added. at another stage Of the meeting.
that some cf the manufacturers and
tobhers of Richmond were guilty of
the same thing
Mr.. Williams was OF the opinion that
the Richmond papers did not boost
this city as other papers boost their
cities. He suggested that someone
point out to them where they are de-
iinquent
Comes to the Rescue
:. Leon. .wallarstein. president L.. OF
Strause Brothers q Co. partly defend
ed the papers. although he was of tho
opinion that some OF the charges were
true. He suggested that perhaps those
who were criticisirg the papers were
not numbered among their advertisers.
Mr.. Wallerstefn WAS OF the opinion
that the bureau had overlooked an ex-
cepuonal opportunity to capitalize the
recent Billy Sunday campaign. The
organization, he thought. should have
reminded merchants throughout tho
virginias. the Carolinas and other
nearby states that the greatest evan
gelist the world has ever known would
be In Richmond for several weeks"
and should have invited them to Rich
mond to combine religion with BUSH
ness" pay their railroad fares and
take advantage OF the opportunity 10
sell them goods while they We're here.
Mr.. Snow. while admitting that
there was evidently more OF a spirit
OF cooperation among members of the
bureau than in the past. charged that
there still Is a decided lack Of CO.
operation among the manufacturers
and jobbers of Richmond. "Business
men who figure solely for themselves
are narrow-minded," he said.
He urged more harmony amonx