REPORT OF THE COMMERCIAL SECTION MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE HN MCCONNELL, CHAIRMAN NO DISCUSSION REPORT OF THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE CA LITTLEFIELD, CHAIRMAN DISCUSSION A MEMBER-(wrong name given by stenographer): I note with satisfaction that there is a gradually increasing number of Class A members who purchase the Section publications. It is to be hoped that the smaller companies will investigate more closely the advantages to be derived through the purchase of these publications so that sales may be greatly increased, thereby tending to lessen the expense per unit to all purchasers. These publications should appeal especially to the smaller companies, which through this medium have the advantage of expert advertising talent that could be secured through other channels only at a much greater expense to the companies. The smaller companies also have through this means the benefit of the experience of the larger companies in profitable advertising. I note that there was a sale of only eleven of the Church Lighting booklets. This was an effective publication and was much sought after when originally published. Did it accomplish its work so well in the localities where the booklet was used that there is no further demand for a church lighting booklet? Did all the churches introduce electric lighting? If this was the condition, then it would be well for those (SEE REPORT, PAGE 14) who have not used the booklet to acquamt t'enist'ves with its contents and arrange for its dissen nation in their Jesalities The enormous sale of the Christmas booklet må ates the value of spevalizing in adverting and should prompt us to prepare other booklets for other special and seasonable business 1. of 'er to ar ate the use of at↑ Paners ( וי 影 The Sect n Coed! stron,'y end rse the s", " the Im the . REPORT OF THE COMMERCIAL SECTION MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE HN MCCONNELL, CHAIRMAN NO DISCUSSION REPORT OF THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE C A LITTLEFIELD, CHAIRMAN DISCUSSION A MEMBER-(wrong name given by stenographer): I note with satisfaction that there is a gradually increasing number of Class A members who purchase the Section publications. It is to be hoped that the smaller companies will investigate more closely the advantages to be derived through the purchase of these publications so that sales may be greatly increased, thereby tending to lessen the expense per unit to all purchasers. These publications should appeal especially to the smaller companies, which through this medium have the advantage of expert advertising talent that could be secured through other channels only at a much greater expense to the companies. The smaller companies also have through this means the benefit of the experience of the larger companies in profitable advertising. I note that there was a sale of only eleven of the Church Lighting booklets. This was an effective publication and was much sought after when originally published. Did it accomplish its work so well in the localities where the booklet was used that there is no further demand for a church lighting booklet? Did all the churches introduce electric lighting? If this was the condition, then it would be well for those (SEE REPORT, PAGE 14) who have not use the booklet to acquamt themselves with its contents and arrange for its dissemination in their restcutive 1 The enormous sale of the Christmas booklet md ates the value of specia' zing i advertising and should prompt us to pregore other bood'ets for other spectal and scasonable business late the use of at; dances De Section steel! strongly end rse the suge tnafte en thee that the work of the Palaeations Com ཟེ*Tat the et j'o ment in the generi ofte of successful work in so far as it has been possible with their handicaps. There is no question that the Publications Committee, with the variety of duties it has, is overburdened, and its attempts to get out a considerable amount of printed matter must therefore suffer in efficiency. Those here who have followed the Committee work will notice that the booklets that have met with the best sale and given the best satisfaction have been those upon which the most time was spent. This report shows up magnificently in numbers of papers sold, in receipts, and in the increase in volume of receipts, but if all the expenses incident to the production of these publications were charged against those booklets they would be practically unsalable because of the high cost. What I mean to emphasize is that the central stations through their representatives on these committees are paying the expenses of the booklets. Practically all that is charged against them in the way of expense is for stock, printing and cuts. It is a queer piece of financial manipulation such as we decry in municipal bookkeeping. We ought not to be practicing such methods. That is not reflecting at all upon the work and ambitions, and should not hurt the feeling of the members of the Committee; it is meant for the general practice. I want to make first a suggestion that I have repeated a good many times, that the preparation, printing and sale, including the greater part of the advertising incident to the developing of the sales, should be in the hands of some independent printing firm, not an advertising agency, that has its staff of men, and an equipment for preparing such publications. They would then be put out in much better shape under more expert supervision, than the best publications committee you could pick out could give them. My second suggestion is that the Publications Committee make this publisher do its work. All first-class printing houses today have their printing service experts. We light and power companies are not the only ones who give service, the printers have awakened to that point; they have men who are skilled and adaptable, qualified to take up any subject even if they have not touched it before, and fit themselves for the preparation of booklets, bringing a fresh point of view from the outside to that copy. New interests, new ideas, will appeal to them in every |