Montana labor news., 1935-01-31
Atlantic Monthly
Boosts Corporations
AT 100000

NEW 1Okk.-(fP)-ltS Just an
advertising stunt. But what a beauti-
full racket
The staid, conservative magazine of
vested interests, The Atlantic Monthly,
has assumed the task of selling big
business to the American people-for a
cool 100000.
Beginning with the January, 1885, is
sue, the magazine will publish a series
of articles to adjust the relations be-
tween a great corporation and the
thinking public in a period Of economic
and social change" it coyly explains
to prospective advertisers. The writer
of the articles is Arthur Pound, author
also of many heavy volumes on big
business. The subjects advertisers, to
YOU are General Motors, Goodyear
Rubber, Standard Oil of New Jersey,
General Electric, Johns anville, u.
S. Steel, Libbey- Owens-Ford Glass Co.,
Continental Can, General Mills, Nor
ton (abrasives and grinding tools, and
National Dairy Products. A twelfth
corporation is expected to jump at the
bait shortly.
Almost all the companies are the
largest in their industries.
Here's what The Atlantic Monthly
tells its readers in its introduction to
the series;
For his new book, Mr.. Pound has
selected certain outstanding manufac-
turing corporations, each a leader in
its particular field, but all having in
common a deep-seated public interest
by reason of importance in our ma
tional life, size, widely-spread stock
ownership, employment of many thou
sands of persons, and broad, forward
looking policies. A discussion Of the
resources, researches and operating
policies of these companies is we'll in
line because events have demon
strated that Americas future depends
upon steady industrial progress
Here's what it told the corporations
when it went around soliciting the ads
THE obvious stabilizer in a period Of
economic and social change is a care
fully planned and well-directed appeal
to intelligent public opinion. For ex-
ample. /. Is it enough that your
policy with respect to wages, salaries
and labor is eminently fair? There
are obvious reasons in seeing to it that
intelligent public opinion realizes this
is true"
Points 2 and 3 urge the corporations
to make the public aware of the de-
gree to which your company performs
an essential public service" and to ex-
plain that your financial structure is
above r%eproach."
Moreover, it continues, Our readers
yield the highest per capita index OF in
vested wealth of any accessible group
in America" and are not 'emotionally
minded masses which blow hot or cold
with the passing whim."
Still more, at the conclusion of the
series, the advertisers are promised, all
the articles will be published in book
form as Leaders in Industry and will
be distributed to 1000 standard IL
braries.
Oh, yes-the charge. Each of the
corporations buys 20 pages for the
year, N page to appear monthly ex-
cept on that month when the article
will present that corporation "in the
best Atlantic tradition" The article is
to consist OF eight pages, each page
sold at regular advertising rates. Since
the page rate Of the Atlantic is 1920,
each advertiser thus forks over about
$4,000. Quite right, $8,400 would nor
mally pay for 20 pages of ads, but IS
per cent of the $4,000 is allowed for
an agency commission.
Political action along economic lines
is the inevitable corollary Of large-scale
unemployment" The Atlantic Monthly
states in its argument in favor of the
plan. Regardless Of the nature Of its
business, every corporation with a ca
pacity for employing thousands Of
workers is today invested with a degree
of Public Interest undreamed of a
decade ago"
Political action-economic lines
large-scale unemployment-public in
terest"- - 00,0O0-what a beautiful
racket