Illinois newspaper directory. History of the Illinois press association

Illinois Newspaper Diri < tory and HistoryThe opening session was held in the Union building. After the invocation conventionsongs were in order. President C. S. Conger, White County Democrat, Carmi,presented his address.The main address of the Thursday afternoon program was given by George B.Dolliver, publisher of the Battle Creek (Michigan) Moon-Journal and vice presidentof the National Editorial Association. Speaking of early davs and the press, he said:"The thing that stands out vividly in my memory is that a large percentage ofcountry editors then present (30 years ago) looked as if they were just one step aheadof the poorhouse. They dressed shabbily, they talked shabbily and, as I learned, theyran their business shabbily."Today you can't tell a country editor when you see one. He dresses well, paysas he goes, and talks intelligently on cost accounting, advertising commissions, standardizedjob prices. He has a modern, and often a model plant, with up-to-date equipment,and his weekly paper shames the city daily in style, make-up and influence."Dolliver advised editors to "build better newspapers" if they would increase circulation.Organizations like the Illinois Press Association and the N.E.A. are largelyresponsible for the transition taking place in country journalism, Dolliver said. Heexplained the part which his organization had taken in lowering postal rates, fightinggovernment envelope printing, and watching legislative activities detrimental to thepress, as well as the services maintained for the use of N.E.A. members.C. W. Hinton of the Iroquois County Times, Watseka, spoke briefly upon thebenefits derived from N.E.A. membership, condemning the insincerity of editors whoboast co-operation and organization in their own communities and yet refuse to jointheir own association.A rapid-fire discussion of circulation problems concluded the afternoon session.Lieutenant-Governor Fred E. Sterling, Rockford Register-Gazette, opened the seriesof talks. He recommended careful analysis of the paper's news field. Local names andillustrations used profusely, were praised by the lieutenant-governor as sure circulationbuilders. He further advised close contact between department heads and readers;intelligent, smiling and trained carrier boys, prizes to carriers and new subscribers,and localized editorial columns as valuable aids to increasing circulation.Lucien File, Chester Herald-Tribune, explained how his father's paper took advantageof the human race's inherent laziness in building up a circulation list. He outlineda system whereby letters were sent to subscribers, making renewals easy. By means ofpromotional advertising in his own paper, direct mail literature, bill boards, motionpicture slides and personal solicitation, File declared that the Herald-Tribune had beensold to all but five farmers on rural routes out of Chester. These five subscribers couldnot read English, File stated.Cash in advance and accurate circulation records were advocated as aids to healthycirculation building by C. R. Denson, editor of the Minonk News-Dispatch. Mr. Densonexplained that his paper had followed the policy of cash in advance for subscriptionssince 1927 and found it an important factor in promoting profitable circulation.News-stand sales for weekly papers were recommended bv Howe V. Morgan, SpartaNews-Plaindealer, who told how he added more than three hundred to his circulationeach week by this method. Mr. Morgan urged his fellow editors to pay more attentionto the news tastes of women readers.H. B. Smith, Newman Independent, gave as his recipe for circulation buildingthe featuring of local news and women's interests, fairness in editorial comment, anda clean news policy. He opposed circulation building campaigns that included theawarding of premiums.289