THE USES OF ADVERTISEMENT
SIR,—There is excessive advertising by firms engaged wholly or mainly on Government contracts. Here are a few examples. Sixteen recent issues of one journal connected with the motor-industry have an average weight of 1 lb. 3 oz. each. There is a total of 1,066 pages of advertisements and 551 pages of text. Its latest issue contains 35 pages of text and 84 pages of advertisements, some of the latter elaborately coloured. Two recent issues of a journal closely connected with the aircraft-industry weigh 1 lb. 8 oz. each and have a total of 224 pages of advertisements and 72 pages of text. A recent issue of a journal concerned with motor-boats had 25 pages of text and 24 pages of advertisements, compared with 17 pages of text 'and. 6 pages of advertisements six months ago. A weekly aircraft-journal over a recent period of eight weeks had 222 pages of text and 338 pages of advertisements.
The advertisements are in the main elaborate. Many firms which did not advertise in such journals before the war are advertising now: a great many of them are evidently spending money in this Way to lessen the Excess Profits Tax. There is certainly a waste of valuable paper. A tax on advertisements should be ihstituted.—
Yours truly, E. WILLIAMSON. T2 Raymond Road, Wimbledon.
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