The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-09-12
engage in the newspaper printing ano

engage in the newspaper printing ano
publicity business, to buy and sell
newspapers, to act as promoters in
the buying and selling of newspapers
and to deal in all kinds of supplies and
act as an advertising and news agency
This corporation, under the guiding
genius of Wells Brinton, has organic
ed or bought newspapers in practic-
ally every county in North Dakota.
"The general plan of organizing
these papers ought to commend itself
to J. Rufus Wallingford. The articles
of incorporation are practically ldent.
ical for all of them and divides the
stock into common and preferred. The
common stock is of the par value OF
$500 and is issued te the service bur
eau in payment for promotion and or
%ganization work and for services rend.
I'D or to be rendered. The prefer
red sto,a is of a par value of $40 ane
is paid in cash or notes.
How 1t Works.
"To illustrate the practical value
of this scheme, a corporation capital
lied at $1,000 is divided into 45C
shares Of common stock and 1,05C
shares of preferred stock. The divid-
ends on the ommon stock are pre-
ferred and cumulative; J.. e., 70 cents
annually must be paid on the prefer,
red stock before the common stock
shares in the net earnings. After the
preferred stock has been paid 70 cents
then before it can share in any fur
Their earnings, the common stock,
which cost the bureau probably one
speech, a few dollars carfare and a
hotel bill, is entitled to 70 cents a
share.
How Townley Controls.
"One would suppose this method or
organization was the contamination
of all gall, but this is not true. There
are yet even greater heights to which
Mr.. Brinton and the inner circle can
Each share of the s. gift
stock has one vote, but only each
shareholder, who puts up his money
for stock, has a vote. A man who
owns 80 shares par value of $500, gets
but a solitary vote which is matched
by the vote attached to a s. share Of
stock given to the bureau | am a
shareholder in the Morton County
Farmers Press and the s. gift stock
.as $50 votes while the men who put
in money into the paper have
100 votes. This method OF organiza-
ion insures the control Of all league
newspapers by the bureau, which in
urn is controlled by the inner circle
# the league which is controlled alb
by Townley.
These league newspapers not only
re overcapiJalized and forced to di-
-ide any earnings they might eve
make with the bureau, but they must
ook to it for all supplies and news
service, which Of course, includes ed
torial matter. The result is that Mr..
lownley dictates the policies of his
state weeklies, his two state dailies
and 80 odd county weeklies. The same
propaganda appears simultaneously
and the same editorials grace each
sheet. He maintains a bureau of three
experienced newspaper men at the
and no expense is spared in
securing team work on the part Of
these publications in putting over the
various ToWnley schemes.
State Supports Papers.
GAS | suggested, Mr.. Townley found
these newspapers an expensive luxury,
Business men We're not eager to pat
roniZe them and attorneys and Others
did not come forward with sufficient
alacrity with their legal publications
SO the famous Newspaper Act was
conceived. This act in bief provide!
nav liS PSOPlC VI q Aotillly Sildll, q
each general election select an officia
newspaper-pending the first election
a printing commission was establishe,
consisting of three state officials, t
select the newspapers for the differ
emit counties. 1t is then provided tina
all official proceedings Of the stat
and it's political subdivisions, togethe
with all legal notices shall be publish
ed in these newspapers. In additio
to selecting the official newspapers
the printing commission controls al
the state printing. 1t lets such con
tracts without bids-it opens the por
tails of the treasury of the state t
the bureau and its newspapers.
Emashes a Free Press.
Can you conceive of a more das
tardly outrage upon the freedom 0
the press? The newspapers hav
been selected and the scheme is in full
operation. Already, some 80 cd,
weeklies in the state have suspende'
$500 -