Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1919-05-08
COMMENT

COMMENT
1t has been suggested by two or
three lately that 1 resume writing a
"Comment" column. It was also sug-
gested like this few weeks ago:
sYou fellows gets out a pretty good
paper when there is no Com
ment'' or <tDictagrams" in it, Thus,
while we are pleasing one person we
are displeasing another.
This brings me right up to some of
the things I am bent on commenting
on this week
Northwestern Kansas editors held
conference at the FIT Hays Normal
last Saturday afternoon and evening
and among other things one of the
editors said: II run my paper. / say
what I want to, but try to make it
interestin to the subscribers. What
the other fellow says OF does doesn't
make any difference to me. run m
own paper" Working out on this
idea I have right to run my "Con-
ment' column if I want to and if I
find it is interesting to one or a few.
There were several things of special
value to newspaper men discussed at
this conference and sooner or later
they will reach the general public. The
one principal thing which the public
ought to know and which they are
gradually finding out is that the
younger generation of newspaper men
have reached the conclusion that the
small town newspaper is not char
table institution either for dispen-
sing or receiving charity. 1t is bus
mess and as such it is to be handled
on a business basis.
The business of the newspaper man
is to sell advertising space and COM
mercia1 printing and the successful
newspaper man no longer gives away
two dollars worth of reader ADVERTISE
ments for the sake of getting fifty
cents worth of paid display advertis-
| ing; neither does he take a supply of
turnips sprouted potatoes in settle
ment for a subscription account but
he demands dollar for dollar for ser
vice rendered the same as the bank
| er, the lawyer, the merchant or the
insurance agent. He has a conamod-
ity to sell and unless he charges and
receives a just price for it there is
no use of him being in business.
| The editor has come to real
| ization of the fact that he does not
get rake-of from other. business
men with whom he deals and if he
does not receive these concessions he
| should not be expected to give them
Furthermore, he has decided that he
will not give them but will demand
the same business consideration from
| other people which is demanded OF
| him.
If an advertising space is worth
| having it is worth paying for. If i
1 will do your business good for the
| editor to give you a free puff it viii
| do you just much good if you pa.
for the advertising space used at sc
much per.
i The prospects are that the futur
newspaper man will not wear as
many patches on the seat of his pant:
as the newspaper man of the past ha
done He will have the money witt
4 which to buy a new pair when tn,
pair he is wearing gets a hole in tn,
seat.
The editors learned some othe
things about the city of Hays Will,
there They learned that Hays ha
, real, live commercial club O.
Chamber of Commerce" as they cal
it. They hold weekly noon hou
lunches and transact the business a
, these lunches A regular headquar
tiers is maintained and a competen
stenographer is employed. This stem
! ographer takes a shorthand report O
all the proceedings and talks whicl
are made which are preserved for tn
records and for future reference Thi
chamber of Commerce" is dom.
things for Hays Not all western
Kansas towns can maintain such al