The State's Long-Overdue Debt to Country Editors
After months of carrying the state's land sale advertisements on credit, Washington's rural newspapers are finally seeing a payout.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A glad and joyful cry will go up from the country newspapers of the state when they receive news that Acting Governor Hay has signed senate bill 124. That bill will enable many a country publisher to settle with the grocer and pay for the last shipment of news print. It means many hundreds of dollars distributed to all parts of the state where the newspaper owners have been waiting with impatience since last August. Since that time these financially poor publishers have been lending their credit to the state—and because of this credit the state has profited probably a million dollars—but the newspaper men will get no interest and little credit for their services. The immense demand for purchase of state lands in recent years used up all of the funds appropriated in 1907 for advertising the sales. E. W. Ross, state land commissioner, pointed out he could not pay cash, but if the owners of the papers would wait until this legislature met it would enable the state to proceed with its land sales. The publishers agreed, and since last summer have been doing the advertising without receiving any money. Now the publishers get their money, for their claims are included in the $17,000 appropriated by this bill. And they do not get a cent interest, for the law will not permit any to be paid.
“Because of this credit the state has profited probably a million dollars—but the newspaper men will get no interest and little credit for their services.”
Local journalism has always been a precarious business, often operating on thin margins while performing essential civic services. This story highlights the historical reality of 'advertorial' dependency, where rural papers were essentially forced to act as creditors to the government to ensure their communities were informed about land sales.
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