A STARTLING STRIKE

Shannon News, 6 November 1923, Page 3

A STARTLING STRIKE

NEWSPAPERS CRIPPLED. EFFECT ON .BUSINESS. (Correspondent Christchurch Press.) SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26. The sensational strike of the. pressmen employed on the New York newspapers has wrought untold havoc to advertisers, and the subsequent continued lack of advertising space, as a result of the strike, has been reflected 'in all branches of finance, commerce and industry, , .

For the first time in,, the history of the country, people 'generally have begun to learn that store advertising is looked upon by the shopping public as news, for immense space is plaid .for by »the large department stores of New iiYork. Department store heads, merchants and business men of all kifids state, that business has been aferiously hampered/ and they expressed the fear that unemployment might become general from longer crippling of the daily medium of contact between merchant and buyer. “The slump in business undoubtedly is due to, our inability to advertise in the newspapers,” declared the head of one of the largest department stores. “The dearth of women shoppers at the 1 height of the bargain season can ‘be laid to nothing other than the fact that New York is without newspapers.” The strike of newspaper pressmen compelled the New York newspapers to issue* curtailed editions, groups of publishers issuing a joint print of buta few pages. Obviously this meant that all advertisements had to be limited. Stores which used to take a page, oti* a half palgp, to tell of bargains and new. styles, were now restricted tQ.four or six inch announcements. in this exigency all sorts of advertising schemes have been resorted to in an effort to attract the trade, but without result. It was demonstrated, as never before, how greatly the public, and especially women, are swayed into making decisions, to buy merchandise through newspaper advertising. “Most women,” a departmental store manager said, “don’t go out aimlessly hunting bargains, like a ■man on a duck hunting expedition, in many cases they are induced to start on shopping tours by our newspaper advertisements. With the newspaper advertisements removed there is no way of attracting them.” Even the ultra-fashionable* Fifth Avenue shops have been seriously affected. “Our clients are postponing their purchases until they see in the newspapers what they can buy,” one such store owner said. All of this indicates that advertisements appealing, to women are just, as necessary as the heart and home topics,.the society columns, what women shall wear, and other features oi the modern metropolitan newspaper. Printed circulars mailed to- customers were tried in New York, but they did not have* the drawing power of the. customary 'advertisement, and, furthermore, mailing made the circulars prohibitive. Just as the New York /newspapers were going to press at midnight toe pressmen quit quietly from their posts after removing the'plates without authority, and walked out leaving ■the publishers helpless. There had been dissatisfaction among the ranks of the strikers, but it was not known that a walk-out was imminent.