Page:Oregon Exchanges volume 5.pdf/310
Legion post in that city. We are taking care to build up our circulation, so that all the members of the posts in towns where advertisements are obtained are sub scribers, and are encouraged to patronize the merchants whose names appear on the pages. The interest of posts in maintaining the pages and giving direct results to the advertisers is enhanced by giving to the posts the commission for the advertising, which ordinarily would be paid to solicitors. We are able to do this by reason of the fact that our advertising manager is working on a moderate salary and helps in securing these pages.
SPECIAL RATES FOR ARTICLES
Editorially, the magazine seeks to keep the veterans in touch with all governmental or state action affecting their welfare as well as the activities of their buddies in service who are scattered about the Pacific Northwest. Space rates are paid for acceptable articles. Its original humorous columns are frequently quoted in the Literary Digest. Cartoons enliven its pages. Editorial comment usually has a punch and is from the ex-service angle.
In conclusion, let me say that we admit that the Pacific Legion has been an experiment, and has made mistakes in the past because the business was so new and untried and because we were up against a cut-throat competition which at times threatened our very existence. “Them days is gone forever.” By constantly striving toward an ethical plane, too little recognized in the veteran publication field, we have finally established a reputation, which we intend to maintain, for fair dealing. We have made the Pacific Legion a clean, legitimate advertising medium through maintaining a good circulation, reader interest, and encouraging the patronage of advertisers using its columns.
In addition to being a mere advertising medium, it has filled a distinct need, knit the members of the American Legion into a more cohesive organization, given expression to their ideals, fought their battles and, withal, has spared no effort to entertain as well as to be of service to them. These things we conceive to be our mission.
KEEPING UP A CIRCULATION EQUAL TO POPULATION OF TOWN
By BERT G. BATES, Roseburg News-Review
[The conspicuous success of the Roseburg News-Review in maintaining a circulation well up to the population of the city in which it is published led to an invitation to Bert G. Bates, associate editor and publisher, to tell the Conference how this result has been achieved. Mr. Bates accepted the invitation and read the interesting paper here printed.]
I HAVE been asked to tell you how the Roseburg News-Review carries a circulation larger than the city in which it is published. To give full details of how we have reached a daily circulation of 4125 copies in a town of 4381 people, the figures of the last census, would cover considerable ground, so only the high points of the cause and reason for such a healthy circulation will be given.
First, I want to say to you that any town with a population up to 8000 inhabitants has no use for two daily news papers. Both cannot be made a financial success no matter how much effort is put into the undertaking. We tried it in Roseburg for about fifteen years and neither paper was a financial success, though both were very creditable editions. Finally, after both of the