PRINTER AND PUBLISHER

struggle to make ends meet. On pay-day they take peinenrt backbone shoul(l be. It is on thern the press
home whatever is left-be that little or much: usu- agent thrives; they pay his salary.
ally it is the former. To many of these the present Iluntiliating, but true, is the fact that chief
educational awakening llas given a new lease of among the press agents of Canada stands the Canaa-
life, a re-incarnation of energy and ambition. dian tovernirient in sorie of its departments. The
Thus far in the acaipaign, eight district cost misguided zeal of one of its oficials in requesting tle
conferences have been held under thle direct aus- free advertising of the Govrnrment aiinnities will
i?ces of the Canadian Press Assoiation and to possibly int itself work a chanlge in the attitude of
three others aetive co-operation has been given. til publislers toward this press agent. Even the
Three limore are to be held next month, in Lindsay, philanthropil pblisler will trrn when he is goaded
Belleville and Guelph. We urge every printer and to the limit.
publisher in the districts to be served by these Imeet- Early this month there came to Printer and Pub-
ings to be presen t aone or more of them. lishe^, atd to many other newspapers, a proposition
The fact that we have been privileged to have from the Winipeg Development and Industrial
ha(l a snttll share tn itt prevents us froin speaking TBureal? thalt is not to the credit of the Winnipeg
had a snmll share in it, prevents us froth speaking ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
ne terte ld u this work ai u lthe hbusiness men who form that bodvy. We quote frorn
as we otherwise would of this work and of the Commision
Association that has undertaken it. Membership in r C s F Ra re r folws
the Canadian Presa Asociation is Inot open to puiirely FaRE ns EIkY sITJILETIN FRVISFJ ICOR li11.
In offerlig this weekly service to Editors, wlthout
job printers, bult everv newspaper publisher who is ot. we w.i sh to state that practical matter for publita-
TlOt alreradv a 7mei-ber should join forces with that tlon will he supplled. The news will be live, up-to-date
not already a member should join forces with that e i ai isiiiOrl alai
.nd rellabtle, uI?tiring tie financial. eommercia l a nd indus-
bodv in its comniendahie work for the betternient tr: i reliale t oi this great, growing feid. Yonir progres-
of tile craft. sve advertisers sholld welcome Western News.
~~'-- q^~. ~ SPEICIAL ARTICLES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.
Thils department. in charge of rompetent writers,
The Free Notice Nuisance nnderstnid the preparation of good copy nnid wlll under-
T HtE newspaper publishers of Canada take to furnish, Free of Charge, special articles for illus-
shoiild imite in the repression of the trated s speel supplement isues.
ubiquitous press agent and the elim- If Winnipeg is the progressive, wealthy city its
ination of free notices. First extended Development and Industrial Bureau claimrs it to be
u at rare intervals as a courtesy, in some quarters the it should be above press agent work. If these bulle-
free notice lias come to be regarded as a right, and tins or speeial articles are intended to advertise Win-
is consequently eating like a canker into the profits Iipeg (and they iindoiubtedly are) their insertion
of many a newspaper. in the columns of newspapers should be paid for.
A considerable measure of success has attended not begged. Commissioner Roland's cireular had a
the organized efforts of the United States daily news- through ticket to Printer and Publisher's waste
paper publishers along this line. In a recent bulle- basket.
tin the American Newspaper Publishers' Associa- To the plublisher of the average country weekly
tion states that during 1910 hundreds of press agents newspaper the requests of the professional press
albandoned or materially abated their operations s agents for free notices are much less difficult to deal
a resnlt of the ausociation's efforts. The fight is still ith than are those of local advertisers or ubscrib-
on, and will continue uintil the free publicity evil ers. The advertiser, by paying for his adver-
is finally uprooted. Last month a courteolus, but tising recognizes the publisher's right to sell his
cerv pointed, letter, signed by 265 leading IUnited white space, and paves the way for a refusal of free
States daily newspapers, was sent bv this asqociationi notices. Buit the problem is not so easy to solve in
to all press agents and to all advertising agents who so far as chuirches, lodges, clubs, societies, sporting
make a practice of sulhmitting copy tor free publica- organizations and similar bodies are concerned. The
tion. This letter was worded as follows: "The large news feature here enters into the equation, and is
niimber of requests for free publication has becore uassidtuously used as an argument by the applicant
such an abuse that you are hereby notified that the fo f free space. It is difflcult to know where to draw
following members of this organization ask that you the line, blut delay will increase rather than lessen
diseontinie making any further requests for the the difficulty. The line maw,ut be drawn and drawn
publication of reading notices or for free publicity tightly. Publishers who have not already done so
in the columns of their publications." should decide upon a definite policy in this matter.
There are some people in this world who spendt announce it prominently in their newspapers, and
a considerable portion of their time in the gearch strictly adhere to it. Opposition will iindoilbtedlv
for something in exchange for nothing. Of that ilk be aroused at first, btit in the end most people will
is the press agent. There are sonie publishers who respect a dign?fied, indepent attitide fomndeil
have weak, whhbly vertebrs, where a strong, inde- upon a tenable argLmment, and will value the adver-

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