The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1942-07-30
The War And Advertising

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stances, however, where curtailment is
merely the result of the national idea of
saving, we feel like this is killing the goose
which lays the golden egg Nor are we
alone in this belief, for advertising execu-
tives and business leaders with foresight
are not cutting down their advertising.
Many of them are recalling that many bus
mess institutions and products which were
American bye-words previous to the World
War I, are now completely forgotten be-
cause they failed to keep their name before
the public.
Today, many of the most successful
manufacturing concerns, even though they
have nothing to sell, are not letting the av-
erage American consumer forget that they
are still in business. A large steel COM
pany is carrying series of advertisements
telling of the progress it has made in the
production of steel plates for ships, bombs
and other war material. An oil company
is running some educational advertise
ments on synthetic rubber. Of course they
have none of it to sell, but they are not
hesitating to inform the public that they
are on the job and are staying in business
In the general shift over to war pro-
duction resulting in the change and cur
tailment of many advertised products
newspapers have, and in many cases still
are suffering losses in revenue from adver-
Using Some less successful papers have
already had to suspend and more will fol-
low unless advertising comes to the rescue
We agree with Roger Babson who recent
ly wrote the following on this subject
THE average reader accepts his paper as
matter Of course. Papers are, however, as i'm
portant to their communities as are municipal
conveniences and services. Probably no single
item would be missed more from our daily lives
than our newspaper. A newspaper is the great
est buy in the world. All papers, regardless of
size, are highly educational. Unlike other great
institutions of learning, however, they are not
endowed and must be sef-supporting Natural
ly what keeps paper going is its advertising
revenue.
Such revenue is vastly important not only
to retailers, to manufacturers, and even to
churches. All kinds of civic and social organi-
cations rely upon free notices of their activities.
For this reason I would like to see all daily
newspapers sell for~tive cents and weeklies for
ten cents. We all have more of stake in the
business of advertising and newspaper publish
ing than we realize. Our papers make it posi-
BILE for us to have each day not only our local
news but information from every point in the
world Washington certainly owes a debt to all
papers whether editorially they are "for" or
"agin" the administration. Rationing and other
government controls could not be put into ef-
feet without the free publicity given by the
press.
''The government might we'll underwrite
series of advertisements prepared, through reg
ular agency channels, to keep the people inform
ed on what is going on. After all, as it has
been said before, this is the peoples war. They
are paying the bills in life and property and
have right to know what is going on. Even
Elmer Davis must depend upon the generosity
of newspaper publishers to get his stories across
to the public. Furthermore the government
must appreciate that the advertisements of our
steel companies, air lines railroads, banks, and
other business interests are today helping Wash
ington acquaint the people with the progress of
our war effort
We believe that the successful bust
ness man will, primarily for the good of
his business and secondarily,, for the sup
port and cooperation with the newspaper,
his chief medium of appeal to the buying
public, must, through sound reasoning, con-
tinue to advertise.
Business men should remember that
their name added to cooperative page on