The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-11-10


ed for in the fact that a Montana
town of 1000 has more pep" anc
more progressive citizens than a qui
ct, long settled village of $500.
The growth of Montana has de.
pended much on its newspapers
Western people often send their home
town paper back to their old home
town in the east in lieu of a letter.
and many are the persons whose
first interest in Montana were
aroused by reading a Montana news
paper.
The increase in the number OF
Montana newspapers in recent years
has been rapid. Final proof notices
required by the federal homestead
law, is responsible for the birth of
many, while the creation of new
counties with all the extra printing
necessary is responsible for many
more. Final proof and new county
bonanzas have about come to an end,
and though sheriff sale and county
tax sale notices, and mortgage fore
closures, are right 10Y stimulating
the business for a few country pub
fishers, the circle of editors in Mon
tana is narrowing down to include
only those who are willing and anx
ious to serve their communities with
real newspapers and receive there
for legitimate support.
Troubles of an Editor.
Because white newspaper space
does not appear to the average per-
son to be a merchandiseable product
such as a sack of flour, editors are
constantly asked to give it away.
The trials of an editor have been
aptly expressed by the Monticello
(Ind.) Herald:
"There is an old saying that
starts, The editor sat in his easy
chair, but it certainly should have
been called his uneasy chair, for
he has troubles the same as anyone
else.
"When a publisher accepts a sub
scription from a subscriber, he makes
a contract TO furnish the news.
which means all the news. Every
thing goes along smoothly until some
one drops in with a request that
certain news matter be withheld from
the columns of the paper FOR reasons
that are very important 20 him but
would hardly hold water with eny-
one else. 1t wouldn't be so bad if
this only happened occasionally, but
when it happens several times each
week, it soon gets monotonous to
try to explain to these people why
we cannot withhold such news unless
there is some very good reason for
doing so.
''Then there is another class who
wants the free advertising or wants
something of an advertising nature
run in the news columns. The only
way that a publisher of a paper can
make a living from the sale of his
advertising space.
Advertising Is Necessary.
Contrary to public opinion the
subscription barely pays for the
paper alone and all of the other ex-
penses and any profits must come
from the advertising. There are not
many people who would walk into
a grocery store and ask for a pound
of sugar free of charge, but some
will ask a publisher to give them the
space for an ad which may be writ
ten so that it looks like news.
"We realize that this is all done
Internationally and simply because
people do not understand or do not
stop to think.
eve hope, however, that they will
become more considerate and save
the editor the embarrassment of
explanations of reasons
why we must publish the news and
publish certain articles as
unless they are news"
Every person who reads this ar
has a home town paper within
subscribing distance. 1t may be the
daily or weekly published in the
where he now resides, or it may
be the daily or weekly in a town far
away. No better service could be
performed for ones self and for the
country at large than for each per
son to follow the urge of "Sub-
scribe for Your Home Town Paper
Week" and add his name to the list
of patrons of his particular home
paper. If hundreds of thou
sands do this during the week of
7 to IL, the entire United
States will be a better country to
live in-for in the same measure
that the home is the corner stone
and nucleus of the community, so
are the home town papers of Amer
lea the substantial rock upon which
our country's stability is built.