Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-05
POSTAL PUBLICITY
BAN |SEXPLA|NED
Government Opens New At
tack to Get Revenue From
Those Who Evade Law.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The Post ONCE Department has I'M
covered a new line of attack against
those who seek to deprive the Govern
ment of revenue due 1t from newspa-
pers and magazines.
Under the law, ALI editorial or other
reading matter published in any news
paper, magazine or periodical for the
publication of which money or other
valuable consideration is paid, accepted
or promised shall be plainly marked
advertisement
Penalties are provided for violating
this law. both editors and publishers
being subject to fines, while those who
conspire to bring about the violation
are subject to a $4,000 fine or i'm
prisonment for two years or both.
Complaints Are Cited.
The Post once Department has had
its attention called to the fact that
many newspaper publishers are COM
planning that certain advertisers and
advertising concerns have attempted
ito WELD a club over the heads OF these
publishers by threatening them with the
loss of display advertisement If they
did not use the publicity matter sent
them as news or for editorial purposes.
The Post Office Department takes
the position that compliance with such
requests from advertisers may make tne
publishers guilty of contributing 10 an
act of conspiracy against the Gov
eminent in conjunction with the ad-
vertisers in deprivtng 1t OF It's just
revenue"
This comes about from the fact that
the Government charges rates 1or
postage on magazines and newspapers
and periodicals depending upon the
quantity of paid advertising contained
mr.
ing matter is really paid for. the Gov
eminent would naturally charge
higher rate of postage.
Proof Is Questioned.
The question has arisen. however,
as to what proof there exists as TO
the payment or promise OF money or
any other consideration when mate
rial is sent for publication in the
news columns by persons other tnan
the accredited representatives OF such
publications.
In many instances advertising agen-
cies maintain publicity departments on
behalf of industrial concerns merely
acting as a channel of information. In
other instances letters have been sent
out intimating that the use OF the pub
licity material would result in the plac-
ing of display advertising.
Newspaper Publishers Association have
complained repeatedly against the send
ing out of publicity material which they
think should have been put In the ad-
vertising columns and paid for at regu-
lar rates. The whole subject has been
a matter of constant discussion Tor sew
eral years, and the statutes to which the
Post Office Department have called at
tention are by no means OF recent
ioxi,- 1Sou iv 40
IL years.
Some Agencies Cited.
Some advertising agencies in sending
out publicity matter have stated plainly
that they did so as matter OF news
and that whether it was or was not
used by the publications in questions
would have no bearing on the selection
of publications to receive paid adver-
Using. Indeed in some of the larger
advertising organizations 1t has been
insisted that the publicity department
has no connection with the space buy
ing policies. In recent years, however,
there have developed more and more
publicity departments in the adyertis-
ing agencies and in soliciting business
from prospective clients some of the
agencies have placed emphasis on their
ability to get space in the reading
columns in the newspapers and maya
zines without paying for 1t.
The present agitation may result in
the complete separation of advertising
agencies and publicity organizations.
particularly since many of the latter
already are in existence and claim that
more of their material is judged on its
news merits because they are in no way
related to advertising agencies.
1t has not been disclosed just which
publishers have been complaining to the
Government or what organizations
brought the matter to head, but dur
ing the last few months Editor and
Publisher, leading trade paper of the
newspaper business, has been calling
the attention of the postal authorities
to laws which it has been claimed have
not been enforced. This is probably
the reason for the Governments inten-
| ton to prosecute If the investigation re-
yeals any offenses within the meaning
of the law.
(Copyrisht, 1900