Show THE WHALE SWALLOWS JONAH and it finally came to pass for two years or more periodically it has been rumored that the engineering mining journal was to buy out or absorb or gobble up or consolidate with the mining scientific press the latter publication has persistently declared that all such reports were lb groundless and the technical mi mining ning world had about reached the conclusion that the mining scientific press would be able to escape a similar fate to that which befell the western mining world of chicago 6 several years ago but the fates have decreed otherwise formal announcement no has been made that on april alst 1st a fateful day in itself the two great technical mining journals will consolidate and hereafter be known as the engineering mining journal press with J E spurr as editor and T A ricard as contributing editor in the west with san francisco as headquarters let us hope that the union will prove a happy one for all concerned in the past if we have been able to properly comprehend the policies and opinions of the two publications licati ons through reading their editorial utterances neither has had a very profound respect for the other even now after the wedding day is announced we find the groom taking in 6 an irritating fling at the bride by formally announcing that a mining journal therefore to keep ahead of the times must also be constantly progressive and must grow A little farther along in the nuptial announcement we find this rather disturbing sentence the strength of the engineering minin mining journal is great in the western t states mining scientific press is well known and in fluent ial in the east this would seem to indicate the truth of the old adage that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country then comes a few sentences of veiled threat and pres on the advertising policy of the sheet merger that modesty at least would have deleted from the an no listen to it one paper that covers the field in italics this is what the mining engineer and the mine mine operator want this will give the maximum of publishing efficiency this is what the buyer of mining and refining machinery and supplies needs one recognized advertising section and buying guide in which to look for sua suggestion az estion and information this will 6 give ive the manu fac the opportunity he seeks one big paper in m which to concentrate and makes his sales efforts genuinely effective f fec tive there seems to be only one conclusion to draw from this statement namely that the advertiser is expected to make up his mind to patronize the big catalogue to the extent of every dollar he may decide to appropriate for advertising ver za purposes a proposition that would prove just about as valuable as space in a state directory of course it would destroy initiative in advertising campaigns and leave the advertiser no choice in the selection of a medium through Z which to describe his wares and reach prospective patrons who might 6 not care to wade through the pages of the great international mining index in the deal just closed the whale has swallowed jonah sure elou enough h it remains to be seen whether the whale 11 1 1 can swallow the men of business initiative and competitive enterprise who 6 go go after the trade of the metal mining states of the west our guess is that it can not |