The Value of Trade Papers to the

(The following addrcss was delivered !y Gco. B. Hcckel, Editor and Publi-shcr of "Druss. Oils & Piints," at thc Con' fercnce of Paint & Varnish Advcrtising Managers, in Pitts' burgh, Pa., June 2,1925. Its text was with rcference to the paint industry, but that was because it was lxcscntcd at a ineeting of minrbcrs of that indgsqy. Substitute the word "lumbei" whercver thc vord "paint" appcars and thc entire thought would bc as thoroughly applicable"<r, for that matter' to any other industry.)

Trade papers, as f see and understand them, do not admit of classification under a single heading. They vary as the individuals who edit and control them vary. They reflect, from mechanical make-up to the punctuation of sentences, the individualities of wh-ich they- are the expression; and hence they refuse to be catalolued, listed and classified like the ordinary products of trade. Each publication is.an original package'and must be considered on its merits, wiihout referenle to the merits of the rest. They are alike in only one quality,-the desire and necessity to serve the industiy, and the freasure of their success in -this service is the meisure of the value to the industry of each and every one of them.

From the point of view of the Advertising Manager,-they refuse to classify with ordinary advertising media. NoL" of them in any important or direct way r&ches the ordinary consumer, and the standards by which ordinary advertisi;e media are judged and rated, do not apply to them in any farticular. They can be fairly judged only by radically different standards.

Nor can they be regarded as advertising media. pure and simple, on the basis of so much circulation so much value. A flw of them-a very few of them-going esllecially- to the distributing trade or to painters, have advertising va-1u9, on that score,- in proportion, first to the extent of their circulation, secondly to the basis on which the cirt:ulation is obtained and maintained, and thirdly to the interest which thev excite in those who read them; and the most important of all these considerations is the t15l-"1strdg1 interest."

One publication will make its appeal, of course, to one class of readers and another publication to another class. Some aim to be informative and helpful, other to be interesting and amusing. Some specialize iq prices current-. others in technology, others in personal trade news and gossip, others in pr-actical selling Ldnice, and still others in iomment on broad general practice and principles. They find preference with-readers according to the predilections or interests of the latter.

But once more I 'vvish to insist that they cannot be compared on the same basis with general advertising media and in the main must all be regarded from the inside as it were, rather than from the outside. One and al! they are Striving to be helpful to the industry, and considered from that point of view every advertising manager knows that they ire invaluable. They furnish -ideas, usually presented in a new way, useful as suggestions for practical utilization. One and ail they stand fol the best ideals and highest principles and' in disseminating these ideals and principles they .promote the advancement of the industry.

I do not believe that any one of you would for a moment deny that this is a real service efficiently rendered and deservlng recompense. Well, there is only one way in whic-h this selvice cin be r€compensed and that is through advertising. The possibility of direct return from -a prepared paint advertisement read chiefly by paint manufactttrers is remote; but if you as a manufacturer of prepared pailtts constantly receive frorn that particular publication service of high qirality and great value how, save through advertjsing aie you g6ing to pay for that service, and by paying insuie its-continuance? I gave up this problem long agoperhaps you can solve it.

Perhaps the success of the great cooperative movements which, during the past few years, have so greatly benefitted this industry may have cast a new light on the trade paper problem. They -were first in this cooperative field' At a lime when there was no cooperation elsewhels-whsn q6operation between competitors seemed as illogical as cooperation between enemies on a battlefield,-the trade pipers lifted their voices impartially for the advancement and improvement of the industry as a whole' - They kner' neither-Greeks nor barbarians. To them a paint man w a member of the family, to be cheered, encouraged, admonished or advised, but always as a friend, and never as an outsider. It is not too much to claim for them that but for the trade papers there would have been no associations, no Clean-Up-and Paint-Up Campaign, no Save the Surface Campaign, and no Advertising Managers Council.

Like the early apostles these pioneers of the tracle press went forth on their mission carrying "neither scrip, nor purse, nor shoes," and whatsoever city they entered that received them, they ate the things set before them and healed the sick that were therein; and whatsoever city they entered that did not receive them, they also went their ways, but did not wipe the dust off against that city but went, saying cheerfully "better luck next time."

And ai w"as said to ihose early missionaries, so I say to you advertising men, "the laborer is worthy of his hire." -

And to my blrethren of the press I say, without a blush, "You earn all you get and, generally speaking,-much more -even though-lvha[ you get is not ahvays paid for the service which earned the pay-go to it !"

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