Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-28
PRESS COMMENTS.
ADVERTISING RATES.

Newspaper rites were forced up during
the war by astounding increases In the
cost of labor and materials and the peak
has not been reached, for in newsprint
alone newspapers face an increnee IN lszi
over 1920 Of more than s75,000,0OO
Newspaper advertising rates, especially
local department store rates, have always
been too low and they are TOO low today
when costs and hazards and service are
taken into consideration. Advertising
space in the daily newspapers is the
cheapest merchandising commodity m the
world. 1t iythe one great public service
or rather public servant-that has come
through the cyclonic times OF the last
half dozen years without spot or blemish.
The newspaper publisher did not
profiteer, has not been III any sense n
party 20 initiation and, therefore, IN this
critical period of the downward trend he
has neither sins of omission or commission
to answer for.
Speaking at the same gathering John
Sullivan, secretary OF the Association OF
National Advertisers, said, III ever thefo
was a time when men must relieve them
selves Of Illusions IT rs IN lo2l he iiist
of the illusions that must go Is the theory
that advertising costs nothing.
The fact that the trend OF prices u
downward, that dcflation is on at iuli
swing, can have no effect on newspaper al
vertising rates, however, for the very slrnpie
reason that there has been no IMITATION III
newspaper advertising rates. i3urme the
period that general business was ping UP
reserves by pyramiding prices the news
paper business as Il whole WAS fghtlhR
battle for life by the practice oi economies
4 4. 1.
Regardless of the propaganda with
which newspapers are ow being hooueu
IN AN effort TO force advertising rates
down, newspaper men must reInempef
| that their first duty In in essence that OF Q
| trustee of a public service institution.
| Obviously, income must be sufficient u
| fulfill that mission.
In 1921 business will need advertismg
more than ever before in it's history-.lt Is
the ono steadying influence 70 wiien
b,isiness can turn during the period OF re
| adjustment with every assurance OF tan
| Rible trade results Advertising was never
! before ae necessary 10 business as It I
| now. The wise business man knows ti'i
| and the Others will learn Il before the ne"
| year il three months old
| On an average ID. 900 business men lai
| in the United States every year Eighty
| five per cent. or 1900, OF these iallure
are To be casscd as uon-adyertisers OhiA
| Is per cent Of al failures are amonl
business men who are advertisers i
/ al her words honest advertising Is the bes
cnarantec that business has agains
| failure Az result Of recent survey
Ben +. Bitter. in Business Chat. SAYS tha
% per cent of All tho business houses y
! America rated at Sl00,0Wl Or more ar
| liberal advertisers
Newspaper advertising Is the greats
mass salesman in the world but u can
not bc expected t. do i all tust IN
| merchandise must he honestly made ~
honestly priced second. u must be truth
| fully and honestly presented
II is doubtful whether newspaper edyef
tising rates are even now rs hlgh as tae,
/ should be aud consideration O any KIN
Of proposition 70 lower rates. II the Inc
/ az rising costs would he sheer ioiiy
| Editor and Advertiser.