Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-12-20

We shall now give su0sCantlal skeCcn vi
what was done, together with matters con-
nected with 1t.
The New York Associated Press was or
ganized about the year lS45, by the pro-
prletors of the New York Sun, the Herald
and Journal of Commerce, to collect news
for their papers. subsequently 1t was en-
larged by taking In the Tribune, Times, E1-
press and World. They united their capital
and energies, established news agencies all
over the country, and then, to reduce the
cost to themselves, sold their news to all
who desired to purchase. AS the telegraph
lines extended, the Association became
vital adjunct to the daily press OF the Unlted
States. ID. II. Craig was appointed their
managing agent in 1949, and he devoted his
abilities to promote the interests OF his en-
ployers. Although the Association was nota
corporation, it possessed the suDstantlai
powers Of a corporate body, and new pa
pers starting in New York were obliged 10
purchase the right of using its news, me
right of the Association to charge 1or the
benefits of its capital aud industry, no SEN
sible man can dispute. fN NA 'N
\ The rights they possessed were extended
TO publishers In other cities, taking their
telegraphic news, 80 that parties desiring
TO establish new papers were obliged to me-
gotiate with existing papers In the localities
where they proposed to operate; Thus,
! new newspaper publishing firm In Cincin-
natl, Louisville, Chicago, or any where else,
desiring to start paper, were required 10
nav existing papers several thousand dol
! lars for the privilege of participating in the
news. The Louisville Press for Instance,
was required to pay the Journal and DemoT
cral $1,000 before it could get the telegraph
news of the New York Associated Press.
| The Chicago Republicdrl, which started aDouI
year ago, was required TO pay the then
| existing Chicago papers large sum Delore
| 1t could have the benefit of the industry
and capital of the Association, and those
who had been supporting 1t at Chicago 80
| In Cincinnati, Detroit, aud st. Louis. Pa
pers suspending and resuming again, were
subject to the same principle. su tapog
| The New York Association also -stipu-
lated that parties taking its reports should
not purchase news OF any rival organiza-
| tion, on the principle that they could not
consent to destroy their own organization.
They were enotorganizedintoa an Association
for money -making purposes, but TO pro-
cure news for their papers-which were
| their sources OF proht, and all that was
| contributed by consumers OF their news,
was designed to be appropriated for in
4 creasing the facilities and usefulness OF
| their Association. 1t was substantially q
monopoly, but the market was open at any
time for rival Organization. Publishers,
however, found it more profitable TO buy
news OF them. .-I'.. .r fs
The publishers Of leading western dailies
complained that the agent OF the New york
| Association, Mr.. Craig, did not consult their
wants, aud they projected a rival organiza-
| ton. The first formal movement, in this
| direction was made 10 1868, when an Asso-
citation was formed, in which publishers OF
| all western dailies were invited to partici-
pate. The capitalist publishers protested a
/ desire for redress of grievances, and con-
| tended for representation in the New York
| Association. This was denied on the ground
| that it would impair the usefulness OF the
| New York Association, and because
| it would tend to division of forces. In
| 1855, the Western Association met at De-
troit and elected an Executive Committee
| to proceed to New York and make the best
arrangements possible for the benefit of the
| Western papers. Thatcommittee consisted
of publishers of the powerful papers
| in Cincinnati-the Gazette; Chicago
the Tribune; and Louisville-the Jour
nal. They made arrangements which
promoted the interest of the pow
erful daily papers in the large citits.
| anu Crlppltu Ille IuIdl pISsp -TOuhOld dCihk
| all cities of the second and third classes,
IL also erobarrassed the papers in cities as
large as Cleveland and Detroit. Their ar
rangement was this-a distinction be-
tween irregular report" to close at New
York at 10 O'Clock z. NJ, and late special
midnight report" the former to pay one
rate, to be divided between the papers TAX
ing it, the latter to pay large special rate
levied equally upon cities, so that city OF
25,00O inhabitants with one paper, would be
taxed as much as a city OF several hun
dred thousand inhabitants, with halt
dozen papers to divide the aggregate. One
paper in Dayton, for instance, was required
to pay as much as five powerful dailies in
| Cincinnati. The toll was so high that
neither Dayton, Columbus, Wheeling or
Toledo, and other cities OF that class could
take it. -.sf. .ta- n. sa5. -.
The -"rural press" naturally regarded
| this an unjust discrimination against them
selves, in the interest of the large city
| dailies, and the latter did not deny that
| this was their object. 1t was distinctly
stated-as we published last week-by Mr..
| Prime, of the NeD York Journal Of Com
nlerce, and President of the New York AS
sociated Press that the Executive Board Of
the Western Association proclaimed 1t to
| be their policy to promote the interests Of
the great leading dailies of the West, at the
expense of the rural press" and to cons
pei people to take their papers"
The Discrimination against the "rural
press" which bore so heavily upon us, was
submitted to impatiently, but there was no
redress. Mr.. Craig finally qnarreled with
| his employers, when the Executive Board
of the Western Associated Press proceeded
promptly to New York. to use Craig for
| their purposes-Craig having proclaimed
his determination to break down the New
York Association. The latter showed
| fight, and the transmission of kilograms by
| the Association and Craig, confused re-
ports. , rsr9 Is gf-c,
Then the President of the Western Asso-
ciated Press, Judge Walker. of Detroit,
called meeting of all the publishers OF the
daily papers of the West.at Chicago on the
| I2th instant. The call did not specify
"members of the Western Associated Press" +"
but all publishers. Representatives from
most Of the Western dailies reported, but it
was speedily discovered thatthey had assem-
bled merely to lick theplatter. The Western
Association simply permitted outsiders to
discuss, while they did the voting, and re7
fused membership to applicants committed
against their policy. A few of us, already
membees of the Western Association, were
opposed to the platform of the BOard Of
| Directors, but there was solid, steady ma
iority against us. They we're led with con-
snmmate skill by Mr.. Halstead, Chairman
OF the Executive Board, and after Two days
sharp contest n often quite PERSONAL
though generally amiable, the Association
| gained its point which was simply and
substantially to break off entirely from the
New York Associated Press, and build up
| the Western Association upon the identical