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November, 1917

In the death of Jabez Nelson, Associated Press Correspondent at Seattle, northwest journalism loses a writer who was in many ways an example of the best principles and ideals in his profession. Mr Nelson never married; he poured into his newspaper work the devotion and enthusiasm and the finer sentiments many men reserve for their home life. He loved his profession.

Rarely shall we meet again a man who can feel so strongly, yet at the same time see so clearly and speak so dispassionately. The handling of news was to him an art. It called for the highest skill, the keenest insight, and a never sleeping love of justice. When Jabez Nelson wrote the story it was safe, it was true, it was fair.

To others, journalism might offer opportunities for moulding the public mind to their purpose, or for driving events in the direction they have willed; to Jabez Nelson his profession meant the chance to set a high standard of correct and intelligent public information, and to tell the truth.

Those of you whom Oregon Exchanges reaches for the first time this month may be interested in seeing the last number, which was published in July before the present staff was organized. In response to a post card addressed to Adrienne Epping, circulation manager of this issue, you will receive the July number—the second issue to appear. The initial number came out in June, but as we have only a few copies left, we are unable to do without them.

It has been Miss Epping’s task this month to revise and supplement an old and very incomplete mailing list to include all the newspapermen of Oregon, and she has made an honest effort to overlook no one. If, however, any newspaper has escaped her notice we shall be glad to rectify the omission upon receipt of the name and address.

On the heels of the elimination of fake advertising from the newspapers of Oregon comes the movement toward guaranteed or certified circulation. It is not only a reform compatible with the new constructive journalism, but it is a business proposition which means money in the pockets of farseeing newspaper men. The newspaper with the guaranteed circulation justified in “talking it up” to local advertisers and ﬁnds it unnecessary to talk it up to the big foreign advertising concerns.

The entire staff of Oregon Exchanges is in sympathy with the sorrow of one of its members, Rosamund Shaw, exchange editor for this issue, in the death of her father Dr. A. E. Shaw of Pullman, Washington. Miss Shaw was called to her home October 15 by the serious illness of her father and the following day Dr. Shaw succumbed to an attack of apoplexy. By her absence Miss Shaw is impressing upon her co-workers her real value as a capable and reliable helper with an idea for every emergency. The staff is looking forward eagerly to her early return to the University.

“We are in receipt of a request from an attorney asking what we will charge for a ‘legal notice’. No attorney worthy the name asks a question like that any more. The law specifically states what a newspaper shall charge for a legal notice in this state, and any newspaper printing one for less than the legal rate has to state in its affidavit of publication that it does so and that it is for ‘charity’. The law is to prevent shysters from jewing down a newspaper by threatening to take the notice somewhere else. The shyster paid the newspaper, say, half price and then collected full price from his client. The law is also a protection for the weak-minded newspaper man who would permit himself to be bluffed into taking anything rather than see a notice go elsewhere. In this connection we want to exempt the Corvallis attorneys from all guilt in connection with the above practice.”—Gazette-Times, Corvallis, Oregon.