VALUE OF ADVERTISING.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18415, 23 June 1925, Page 14

VALUE OF ADVERTISING.

MR HOOVER AT TKE WORLD CONFERENCE.

On tehalf of the Federal Government, <;he Secretary..of Commerce, Mr Herbert) Hoover, welcomed delegates of foreign countries and of tho United States to the twenty-first annual "convention of tho Associated Advertising Clubs of the "World, which commenced Houston, Texas, on May 12th..."More than a thousand delegates were present;'" ' '•■' J ' . • ■ 'Mr Hoover assured the foreign delegates that their "American .hosts in their fine comradeship and hospitality would demonstrate in person that cordiality which. American people felt toward *U: those lands from which the visitors came." The Secretary declared that advertising Had'become one of the vital- forces in the industrial and commercial sys : v tern,, that it was an integral part of 'civilisation and that it had raised the • Etandard of living; , Auotomobilcs arc the.greatest single 'addition to living ■-'standards in generations, and advertising has made them so, according to Mr Hoover. "Civilisation would have been speeded up a few »■.'■' centuries had advertising men had anything to.do.with it," he said. , ~ 'The general .knowledge: and rapid • distribution of ail article only accoin- , pMehed tJi'rougH 'advertising, create large' production, and thus lower costs arid prices." Mr Hodvey declared, ■■. ■'■'.-"'itidding; that tho vast expansion of national, advertising was responsible for ■ the> periodical magazines and growth of".local"* newspaper advertising. * "It has been.proved that publishers ■'■>: are'hotVable'to produce the great jour- - rials without the aid of advertising, -'■ lie said. "The notion that advertising is an: economic waste has been abandoned. ■ . , "The steady increase in volume of advertising in the newspapers and_ periodicals is only one proof that it is an economic form, of distribution, for if it did riot securo great results at less expense it would decrease, not increase." ;' Mi* Hoover told the advertising men

. that in order ■to attain a permanence ; ; x in, public confidence and maintain a .'!-:'V'position as part of. the economic machinery of the country they must see that tho desire they create is satisfied by the article they present. Laying stress' on. the ethics of the i profession, •Mr Hoover said: \ s * >■' "The use of the slogan, "Truth in :, Advertising,' to.protect the consumer, is the finest proof that.,this business is . V evolving toward; highly ethical stands' ardsi" Advertising still: has to contend \tith;Bonio residue of unethical pracand with accumulated prejudices w'hich arise from the methods of many \ vyears ago. t ~, .•• , ...... , . "Through the discussion-and advocacy, of.: standards ,of conduct and your and your sessions are taking part in the building * of a now,ftnd.growing sense "of responsibility and, self-government;■:. in our - life and in the commercial : unity: at large;." ■-