The Washington times., 1924-05-09

| 10y A%s VI 1OOV GS
NEW YORK, May 8.-The spirit
Of a newspaper lives through war
and political turmoil and disaster.
It is not dependent on its build
J ings or the locality of its plants.
1t is a living thing that overcomes
| all obstacles to publication. When
| the people want to know what has
happened, the newspaper, despite
cataclysmic upheavals of nature
or civilization, is at their doors with
the facts.
This is no romantic imagining
Of what would happen in times Of
disaster It has happened.
/ Quake Races Plants.
The earthquake In San Francisco
occurred April IS, 1905. Big build.
ings crumbled as 30 many sand
castles on a beach. Fire ran
through the city, taking it's toll of
property and of life, leaving in its
wake a people, in dire distress,
| short Of food and with communi.
| cations cut off.
The newspaper plants in the big
Coast city were destroyed. Yet,
| next to food and shelter and medi.
cal attention, the people wanted
AAO 49, A1OWo Va 1ElGIIUS, news
OF their neighbors, news of the ex-
tent Of the disaster, news OF the
outside world" and the help that
could come only from the outside
world.
Despite the destruction that over
whelmed the city, the people got
their news in two or three days.
The Hearst papers were produced
and distributed with but brief in
terruption, though their buildings
had been RACED by shock and fire.
On vacant lots were erected plain
board shacks, with raised roofs for
ventilation and waterproof paper
tackled on the plank walls to pro.
tect the occupants from rain and
heat.
Spirit Carries the Day.
| dows, with mere holes in the boards
to let in the light. Here within
seventy-two hours after the Garth
quake. the presses started running
and the newspapers were issued.
For several days they were virtually
given away to the people, for with
the losses that had come upon them
came also shortage in small
change. Within a week paid circu-
lation was normal. The newspapers
lived, lived through disaster that
had destroyed properties, equip.
ment. but which could not Quell the
indomitable spirit which Is the
newspaper.
How came this TO live? In the
Hearst organization is spirit
which puts foremost the publication
OF the days news in readable form.
The spirit that makes working
unit of the news, business and
mechanical staffs carried the
Hearst organization through It.
Every employe physically fit to
perform his task thought first of
getting the edition out"
Employees Protected.
They had lost in personal prop
erty all that their neighbors lost
| through the big disaster. But
back of them, encouraging that
| spirit which makes a newspaper,
was William Randolph Hearst, the
man who made" the greatest
string" Of newspapers known.
Every man and woman on the
Hearst organization in San Fran
cisco was given additional compen.
| sation every day. No discrimination
| entered into it. From chief execu.
| tive to the humblest messenger,
each worker received this extra help
| to put him on his feet. Mr.. Hearst,
like every other newspaper man in
San Francisco, put in first place
the invaluable service to the people
rendered by a newspaper.
| The spirit Of a newspaper Is more
valuable than it's physical proper
| ho h|e ivo 40
| tail because of question that
the purchase of bonds Of the Hearst
Publications, Inc, 61a per cent first
closed mortgage.
An Historic Record.
What would be the effect on the
five newspapers published by this
| big concern in California should one
or all their plants be destroyed by
| fire or earthquake? History gives
the answer. The five newspapers
would be published as quickly as
the news staff could gather the
news, as readily as the business
staff could fling together a make.
shift plant, as promptly as the
mechanical staff could set up the
| presses.
1t is that imponderable spirit
which builds and holds the cir
culation Of a publication, be it a
newspaper or a magazine. Service
| to the readers Is back of the pages
OF the five newspapers and five
magazines owned by Hearst Publica-
tons, Inc.
How shall you measure the value
OF service except in terms of
| service?
BY service has been built UP the
circulation Of the San Francisco
Examiner, the San Francisco Call
and Post, the Los Angeles Exam
lner. the Los Angeles Herald, the
Oakland Post.Enquirer.
BY service Good Housekeeping,
Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Mo-
tor and Motor Boating have made
their remarkable growth.
By spirit and service the news
papers have been developed from
relative tnsignificance to a COM
bined net paid circulation of 627, 900
on week days and $4,000 on Sun
days, and the magazines to q CON-
bined monthly circulation Of 2,5;5,-
900.
Lead All Competitors.
There is as wide a diversity in
their services as can be found in
public utility concerns that supply
electric light and power not only to
individuals but to practically every
industry in the community.
All the newspapers are among the
foremost in their own cities and the
magazines rank with the leaders of
corresponding nationally known peri
odicals. Each publication has its
own distributing system and the