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Show Advertising Has An Interesting History You Can Be True, Dear Much of the resentment that some people f.el toward adver ti.-ing is a result of exaggerated claims. It is particularly important im-portant that the local advertiser adhere to truth in his public message, si'.o. he is closer to his customers than the outside, or "national" advertisers, and they can more easily cheek the truth of his claims. Advertising can be effective only to the extent that it is believed. be-lieved. Advertising men have not only the reputation of the storv to protect but the reliability relia-bility of the newspaper as well. They can be one of the strongest forces today in building up the kind of press America needs anil must have to maintain its democratic demo-cratic form of government. For democracy depends on public opinion, and public opinion is based upon sound information. A reader who discovers dishonest dishon-est advertising in a newspaper is likely to suspect the same spuriousness in the news col iimns. PioUk-U Honest MoichanU on I1"! Adveillsiug cUli, ,uv "innilhv" to outline a "ogiaiii tor ti-uu, hi advertising. U l ie, o sueh proposals had feen -jusi talk." The out-kMow.h out-kMow.h ol the vigil.,,,,,: C U e.vs. however, ;ls U.e o,ga-1 o,ga-1 Ion of what Is now know,, " lu '-vr lUisiness liureau. hese weiv lonned to prouv, 1 "'' itieivhants from the in- ""'""K '"lUiencos of ack., ;ul conridcnce men. 1 i , :( these bureaus were operaung ,a ; L ",ul Uu'lr 'utUu-.ue u-h. of those centers. Govornmont Regulation Of Advertising Hoth the honest advertiser and the Vir,U,MV,t "y U) ',,,,uvt n ' f 'wsPPt ads lio n .spurious advertising. The federal Government exens con-o con-o Is over adwrllsmg through the lVvst Office lVpartment, Uu Seeunuos ,U1 Kxehange Com. mission, and the Federal Trade I. ommission. The Post Offiiv has regulations regula-tions against advertising anv I form ot lottery, publication o't obscene matter, ami the use of paid advertising which appear-In appear-In the guise of straight news I he K deral Trade Commission forbids fraudulent or misleading advertising practices which hun other competitors. It also enforces en-forces the Wheeler l.ea Act making It unlawful to adv r-tlse r-tlse harmful drugs, foods, do-vices, do-vices, and cosmetics. The S K( " restricts advertising of so, m il c; that have been louiul lo no dubious in value. Hut the advertising li.uei ni; Itself has done iiiucii m Oirld up a reliable repm.ii uui ,m newspaper ad e: Using. I'm. r the so-called Pilnter's lnl ,a trade Journali stall, to, s,.u s have enacted laws m.iLng la so advertising a iui.sdeiuoaii.n-. The 17 oilier stales have less Inclusive laws g.overiuu;; l.u-.o advertising. Advertising New Yoik TimoJ Newspapers have done nu.cl, to establish tellable adveni.d.ig in heir columns. Almost ,11 years ago, (he New York Tmu-., published lis Index Lxpuiyu-loiious, Lxpuiyu-loiious, listing (he types of .id-vertislug .id-vertislug it banned nom i.s columns. Phis list iiuludo.l false ads, oilers ol ".vniieliiuig for nothing", e a g g e i a l o d claims, vulgar or ivpulsivo notices, no-tices, matrimonial oilers, objectionable objec-tionable medical ads. notices of 'fortune tellers and iuack.-., and "any other advertising Uuu may cause loss to he read.-r, or m-Uiry m-Uiry In health or moiaK, o, loss of confidence in reputah!" advertising ad-vertising and bono, able business, busi-ness, or which is regarded 1 the Now York Times as unworthy." un-worthy." The paper offered a slaiulin;: reward of $100 to anyone uw.;-Ing uw.;-Ing the arrest and conviction ol a person or firm obtaining money mo-ney under false pivi.ii..s through advertising pub! s'.ic.l In the columns of the Times. Although the publishers tu::fl down (housands of dollars worth of advertising, they established es-tablished such a reputation tor reliability thai the Times became be-came one of he most prolilable advertising mediums in tin-world. tin-world. Other papers throughout through-out the country adopted similar codes, and the effect upon neighboring neigh-boring papers was marked, even where such codes were noi published. |