BOOKS CONSULTED IN PREPARING THIS BULLETIN

Financing an Enterprise, by Francis Cooper, the Ronald Press, New York.

The Business Man's Library, A. W. Shaw Company, Chicago. How to Make Money in the Printing Business, by Paul Nathan, Oswald Publishing Company, New York.

Cost System Forms and Treatise, by United Typothetae and Franklin Clubs, Chicago.

The Knack of Selling, A. W. Shaw Company, Chicago.

How to Estimate on Printing, Oswald Publishing Company, New York.

Getting Subscribers for the Country Newspaper, Oswald Publishing Company, New York.

Accounting Every Business Man Should Know, by Elisha Ely Garrison, Doubleday, Page and Company, New York.

General

NEWSPAPER EFFICIENCY IN THE

SMALL TOWN

A great deal has been written and much oratory has been delivered on the subject of a "controlled press." Just what is meant by a "controlled press" has never been definitely explained. In many cases the term is applied to newspapers that do not happen to coincide with the speaker's or writer's views. However, the term "controlled press" is generally applied to a publication that is influenced by some interest that desires to use this method of publicity in furthering its private designs.

Few publications of this kind are successful publishing ventures, although they may be more or less successful from the standpoint of the interest in control. The history of this sort of journalism, however, has shown that it usually defeats itself. People are suspicious of a publication that is overfriendly to anything other than the welfare of the public. The individual may be wayward himself, but he is apt to have high ideals for the public good, and he likes to feel that his favorite journal embodies those high ideals and purposes.

In nine cases out of ten the paper that deserves to be classed as "controlled" is a weak paper financially. The paper that is strong and independent financially is likely to be independent in thought. The corporation that seeks an unjust franchise will always have better success in obtaining the support of a paper that is "hard up" than a paper that is independent financially and has the best interests of its community at heart.

If a newspaper publisher would wield the greatest possible influence for good, his paper must be a successful business enterprise. It is the purpose of this bulletin to help publishers to make their newspapers better business enterprises.

The publishing business with its allied enterprises ranks near the top of American industries, but from the standpoint of credit the commerical rating agencies place it very low in the scale.