The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-13
The Westorn Union Telegraph Company ~
u News PedIer.

y News PsdIer.
The business Of the Newspaper press has
been the principal support OF the Western
Union Telegraph Company, and would alone
have handsomely maintained line econo-
mically managed and representing no moro
capital than the legitimate cost of construc-
ton. The regular reports Of the Associated
Press and the specials Of enterprising journals
all over the country have yielded prncely
revenue in tolls, and have been tho more
profitable because usually transmitted over
the wires out Of business hours, when COM
mercial messages are the least numerous and
pressing. The newspapers have therefore
been the best customers the telegraph has
had, and have been mainly instrumental in
building mp the Western Union into mono
poly. assure me the exclusive patronage Of
the daily press" said one Of our most
experienced telegraph men o short time SINCE
"and will put up all over tho country and
make profitable from the start the best lines
ever constructed in the United States"
So long as the telegraph company attended
to Its legitimate business and regarded the
no conflict or difficulty between the two, any
more than between the telegraph and the stock
brokers Of Wall street. But the Western Union
company under the absurd belief that it could
control the press by taking tho whole details Of
telegraphc reporting into Its own hands,
stepped outside its proper sphere Of action, and,
as well as transmitting press messages over its
wires made reporters of its operators, obtained
contract for supplying the daily journals Of
this city with harbor news, undertook to get up
and sell markets and commercial intelligence
all over the country, and mixed up in dozen
other matters with which It had no right to
moddle. The Objectionable features OF this
policy can be seen at glance. A telegraph
employee is necessarily entrusted by private IN
dividuals with important secrets, and the
strictest confidence can alone reconcile the
public to the use Of such means Of communl-
cation. But II telegraph operators arc also
ncws reporters, there can be but little pr0ba-
billy that secrecy will DO observed or conf
dence respected when valuable information
gets into their possession.
The press derives no advantage whatever
from this prostitution of tho Western Union
Telegraph Company Of Its legitimate BUSH
ness and its grasping desire to NEEDLE with
news reporting. In the matter Of harbor news,
for instance, tho reports Of the company are
VIGOROUSLY unreliable and insufficient. The
Western Union marine branch in the Exchange
is valueless alike to the daily journals and to
merchants, for vessels are constantly 1t anchor
off the Battery or at the piers before their ar
rival has been announced by the company.
SO far as the HERALD is concerned, it pays no
attention whatever to the Western Union ma
rine reports, but relies upon its own re-
sources for tho collection Of all harbor news
The advantage of this to our commercial read
ers may be seen from tho following compare.
tive table of the arrivals for the last month, az
reported by STEAM yachts for the HERALD and
by the Western Union Telegraph Company re-
spectively:-