Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1921-11-10
COUNTRY PAPERS
POWER FOR GOOD
BY T. r. Peck, Commissioners
OF Ag, ;culture

fOOIne Weeks ago mao SOm6LnlQe
to say in regard to the newspapers
Of the State, and the great power
they exercised for good in their com
munities, and the duty of the citizens
of these communities to give theil
papers their whole-hearted support
1 feel that a few more words or
this subject would not be amiss, just
now at the time when the country pa
pers are calling attention to Home
Paper Week"
For sixteen years 1 published a
county weekly newspaper, and dur
ing that time learned many things
about its possibilities and its limit.
ations. I came to understand how
much is expected of the county paper,
and how, in many cases, scant ap-
probation is shown of the work done
by the newspapers.
The newspaper in every commpnity
does more gratuitous work than any
individual or organization in that
community. The newspaper man is
natural booster-it is his natural
inclination. You may 90 into any
community and make inquiries about
the location of new industries, and
you will find that the newspaper has
been the chief factor in inducing new
capital and new business to come in
to the community. It is often the
case that the newspaper man is so
interested in boosting everybody
else's business that he neglects to
boost his own in the degree that it
should be.
The newspaper mans vocation is
one he can we'll afford to be proud
of, and one which he Is justified in
boosting. Others will respect the
newspaper AMI give it support some.
times when some of the boosting"
spirit is evidenced in the interest of
the newspaper
The newspaper is the moulder of
public opinion--it mades and un-
makes politicians, and is the power
above all others that makes for the
progress and prosperity of COM
The industrial development
in Tennessee during the last few
decades has BEEN phenomenal, and it
has been brought about largely by
the spirit of the newspapers of the
State in advertising our great natur-
al resources in coal, iron, phosphate
and other minerals. And In similar
legree the great agricultural develop
ment of the State is largely due ii
The spirit of cooperation shown by
he press of the state in co-operat-
ng with the Department of Agricul-
lure and the Division of Extension
IN the spread of knowledge of the
BEST methods i'm farming. But there
'emains great deal to be done, and
am sure that the newspapers OF
he state will continue to cooperate
n the development of the agricultur.
Il interests of the State, because they
'ealize that agriculture IS the basic
and unless the agricultural
,lasses of the nation are prosperous
here can be no permanent prOsperi- |
Y for the State and Nation.
We are all interested i'm the agri-
cultural development Of the State.
our land in Tennessee was
IL fertile, but we followed a system
# farming that in many cases has
obbed the. soil of its fertility. On
very hand can be seen CALLED hill
ides, the result of poor farming. The
ountry newspaper reaches to every
art of the county in which it is pub
Ished, and the broad policy of that
aper in it's cooperation in preach
ng the gospel Of better farming will
esult In reclaiming much of the land
a the State that has been abandon
d as worthless; acreage will be in
and with better methods Of
arming, production will increase.
Every community in the State owes
to itself to give unstinted support
D it's home paper. The home paper
eeps the hearts of the citizens Of
1e community beating in unison, 60
,g into the homes each week with
II the news of the community, and
enerally with sane and kindly ad-
ice on questions that directly affect
lie community The newspaper is a
over for good, for grogress and
rosperity, and the investment of
lie Individual citizen in it's support
one of the best he can make.