Page Six
Friday, January 4, 1924
THE PILOT
OdelPs Address at
Editors Meeting
. Below you will find the address of
Mr. Wallace Odell, president of the
National Editorial Association, deliv
ered to the newspaper men at Pine-
^iirst*last night
\ “I come to you tonight with a warm
Meeting from the National Editorial
isociation. I know that you believe
in\ press organization because of the
splendid association you have in your
Ite. In these days nothing can be
accomplished without organized ef
fort. If we do not co-operate and
work for our own interests no one
else will do the job for us.
“North Carolina is not as strongly
represented in the National Editorial
Association as a state of its impor
tance ought to be. I don^t know
where the fault lies. I think the Na
tional Editorial Association has a vir
gin field here but it has not been
worked. I take the blame. It is the
first time, so far as I know, that a
president of the association has ad
dressed your organizaion and I deep
ly appreciate the honor you have paid
me.
“I don’t think I will have to use
many arguments to'sell you on the N.
E. A. The National Editorial Associ
ation might be compared to Congress.
What Congress is to you in making
the laws of the nation, the N. E. A. is
to every newspaper the one organiza
tion that can look after you interests
not alone in Washington, but through
out the nation.
“Until this year, we have not had a
representative in Washington. It has
been cur loss, and I might cite one
law that was passed that comes to
every one of you. Last year a bill
was passed cutting down the calls
from the Comptroller of Currency for
National Bank Statements from five
to three. At the last N. E. A. conven
tion there were strong protests from
the publishers present. If we had had
a representative in Washington we
could have opposed and probably de
feated this bill. It meant the loss of
thousands of dollars worth of adver
tising to the press of the country.
“The newspapers of the country
would not object to these losses, if
other lines were cut, but it seems
nowadays that everything is iaimed at
the press. In my own state they have
stopped the publication of session
laws and last year they slipped
through a bill cutting out the detail
ed statement of the village treasurer.
In my county there is no official
printing to speak of. It has been lop
ped off year after year, until today
there isn’t anything more to lop off.
“Why should the newspapers al
ways be the target ? During the war,
the newspapers played a great part
in the country’s battle. It gave mil
lions of lines of space to aid Liberty
Loans, appeals for the Red Cross, To
bacco funds, etc. It never thought of
recompense. It gave this service wil
lingly and gladly. The press has al
ways answered the call, and it is en
titled to a fair deal.
“We have put a man in Washington
who in the future will look after our
interests. He is on the job every day
and he watches every bill that is put
in. If there is anj^hing in any of
them that is aimed at the press and
its liberties, he quickly sends a copy
to the officers and they start a battle
to protect its rights.
“I don’t think I have to tell you
the importance of having a man at
Washington. That is apparent to all.
We have to watch any attempts to
change the postal law, to put embar
goes on woodpulp from Canada, etc.
The National Editorial Association
was a big factor in the fight against
the proposed tariff of five per cent on
chemical woodpulp. If that tax had
stood, your paper bills would have
cost you many more dollars every
year.
“A membership in the N. E. A. is an
insurance. You protect your plants
from fire by insurance. Why not in
vest in a membership in the N. E. A.
and pro'ect yourself against bills that
are antagonistic to the newspaper in
dustry.
“We can’t have a man at Washing
ton unless papers of the country sup
port us with their memberships. IT
only costs three dollars a year to be
long to the N. E. A.—less than a cent
a day.
“There isn’t a publisher in the
United States who can’t afford it. I
know there isn’t a publisher in this
big and prosperous state of North
Carolina who can’t afford to belong.
“In addition to these memberships
we have what we call sustaining mem
berships which are from $25.00 a year
up. We also have to employ a na
tional secretary with headquarters at
St. Paul. It costs money to pay him
and <^0 run his office. He is always
on the job watching events all over
the country. He is in touch with ev
ery state organization.
“Here are a few things he does to
aid the publishers: The association
prints a 16-page bulletin every monh
that is worth more than what we ask
for annual dues. It contains interest
ing articles on practical subjects. It
has the latest developments at Wash
ington. It keeps publishers posted
in a national way. It is the message
from the N. E. A. headquarters to the
members.
“We have also established a cut
service department where we make all
kinds of half tones and line cuts at
cost to the publisher. Many publish-
ers save hundreds of dollars everv
year using this service. We receive
orders from Florida to Maine and as
far west as the coast. It is open to
w belong to the association.
We also have a committee on ad
vertising. This committee studies
conditions and it recommends each
year what are fair rates to charge.
This committee has been the means
of helping many publishers to in
crease their advertising rates and
getting an honest return for their
space.
“We also have started a real war on
the free publicity agent. We have a
campaign that we call, “Swat the Free
Publicity Fly.” We have printed red
labels which read as follows:
‘This matter comes under the
head of PAID ADVERTISING.
We will be pleased to run this at
our regular rates. Type compo
sition and space cost money. We
cannot afford to give it away.^—
Member National Editorial As
sociation
“These are supplied at twenty-five
cents the two hundred, and publishers
stick one on all free publicity matter.
I stuck one on some matter sent out
by N. W. Ayer and Son and in reply
received a two page typewritten let
ter in which the Ayer company tried
to justify its publicity. It said it
made its money on advertising and
advertising only and there was noth
ing in free publicity for it. Still it
sends out as much free publicity as
any advertising house that I know of.
These are just a few of the activi
ties of the National Association. I
think you will admit that they are all
important and have a direct bearing
on every office.
“We have also stared three contests
this year and silver cups are to be
given for the best made up front page,
the best editorial page and the best
community service paper. It will be a
great honor for any paper to win any
one of these prizes. The contest
closes February first and the awards
will be made at the convention in Ok
lahoma in May. Think of the adver
tising and prestige it will give these
papers throughout the nation, and
back in their home town. How would
one of you like to win one of these
cups? I won the prize in my own
state that was conducted by the stu
dents of the Syracuse University for
the besj^community service and I was
mighty proud of it. I dont know of
an^hing that pleased more, for I
have a strong conviction that a news
paper ought to be judged by the way
it serves its community.
“I heard Chancellor Flint, of Syra
cuse University speak at our state
publishers meeting in Syracuse in
November and his one appeal was
leadership. He said that the press
had the opportunity greater than even
the pulpit. He thought it was the
greatest power in the country today.
He deplored the amount of scandal
and other articles of the same nature
that find their way into the press.
He said the excuse editors give is
that they serve out to the people what
the people want. He said he would
take the stand of a national manufac
turer. When he puts an article on
the market he advertises and creates
a demand for it. He thought news
papers should create a demand for
better reading.
“He spoke on the propaganda in
the interests of wet legislation. The
south has long been dry and I am
nroud of its record. As Chancellor
Flint said the Volstead act was pass
ed, as you all know, by a Congress
that was elected before we went to
war and the cry that it was some
thing put over while our boys were
away was not true. Again the
amendment was passed by the forty-
six states, and received stronger en
dorsement than any other amendment.
The one half of one per cent, against
which there is such a protest, origin
ated with the wets. In the old days,
that is the wet days, the wet forces
themselves were originators of this
restriction. It was made a law so
that if so-called soft drink places sold
intoxicants containing more than one-
half of one per cent, they would have
to pay a license tax.
“Personally, I am ashamed at the
way some of the New York papers
treat th^ prohibition issue. When it
first went into effect we had fair en
forcement. After a year’s trial Bird
S. Coler, a democrat and a wet, came
out in a Sunday magazine article and
said that while he was against prohi
bition when the bill was passed, he
had changed his opinion. He had seen
the wonderful results in the twelve
months. The jails were empty and
the hospitals had few cases in the
alcoholic wards. Then A1 Smith was
elected governor and he succeeded in
having his famous 2.75 beer passed.
Immediately the saloons started to
open up and old conditions came back.
“New York is not as bad as some
states. Even members of the Na
tional Editorial Association remarked
this on their visit to the city this
summer that they could see a great
improvement. They missed the corner
saloon and rushing of the growler.
But one need not be d-'y in New York.
However, I think things are getting
better. I talked to Colonel Bill Hay
ward, United States District Attorney,
recently, and he said, ‘I think we
have turned the corner.’
“I am speaking of the issue of pro
hibition, not that it is so important
in your state, but because I think it
is my duty as president of the Na
tional Editorial Association to urge
the press everywhere, with all the
power that I possess, to stand back
of the government and to do every
thing in their power to compel respect
for laws. If we make a joke of this
law, there is no reason why the peo
ple should not break down other laws,
and wihout respect for law, our de
mocracy will fall.
“So much for prohibition and re
spect for all laws.
“The National Editorial Association
has some of the biggest publishers in
the country in its membership. The
late, and much beloved president Hard-
i mg*, was a member. Victor Lawson,
of the Chicago Daily News; S. E.
Thomason, of the Chicago Tribune;
Harvey Ingham, of the Des Moines
Register; Senator Capper, of Kansas;
Peter S. Collins, of the Saturday
Evening Post; James Wright Brown,
of the Editor and Publisher; Harry
Hilman, of the Inland Printer and the
lae John R. Rathom, of the Providence
Journal, see in the national organiza
tion what its founder. Father Her
bert, intended, namely: a great moral
force for the good of the nation, ce
menting as it does, all classes of pub
lishers in all parts of the country, in
a common organization working for
the common good.
“Next May the National Editorial
Association will meet in Oklahoma.
It will spend a week in that hustling
state, and if General Obregon can
keep his revolutionists subdued, we
will visit Mexico for two weeks. It
is to be a wonderful trip. The Okla
homa people are famous for their en
tertainment. The sky is to be the
limit. I invite you all to go. Possibly
you think you can’t afford it or you
haven’t the time. I had a friend once
who thought he could not be away
from the office a day. He was taken
down with typhoid fever and was out
of the office two months. When he
got back he said he found things run-
better than ever. Since that time he
has been all over Canada with the
National Editorial Association, and
even to Honolulu and China.
“I started going with the National
Editorial Association on its trip
through western Canada, and I, too,
have been all over Canada, through
Florida to Cuba, out to Montana and
last year we visited New York state.
The friendships one makes on these
N. E. A. trips are the most valuable
assets. I feel that I could go to al
most any state and find a friend. It
has been one of the greatest pleasures
of my life. If you will join us next
May, I am sure you will come back
home full of enthusiasm and happy
over the friendships you have made.
“These trips are not junket trips.
In the old days of free passes, etc.,
they might have been so classed. To
day they are different. The business
sessions are most helpful as they
bring men together from all parts of
the country, and many problems are
discussed at first hand that could not
be taken up in any other way. Then
they are educational. Travel broadens
a man. You should see your own
country. Editors, above all others
should traveL The Naticmal Editori
al Association holds out a warm wel
come to all of you, and I would be de
lighted to see this association join 100
per cent strong.”
Southern Pines, N. C.
This week we announce the removal of
the warehouses to the new location at our
own siding below the ice plant on East
Broad Street.
All car load freight has been coming in
for several days at the new location, and
all smaller stuff is being moved as fast as
possible.
The new site gives an abundance of room
for the business that had already grown
away from the old place, and from now on
expansion will be the constant practice.
Southern Pines Warehouses
Remember the new place
SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA
At home
At the new location
Every day in the year.
tmm
F.G.B.
DETROIT
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out increas-
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