Middletown transcript., 1869-05-08

egraph, with its telescopes and apparatus,
cost only about 1900, 1t would send a
message through in thirty minutes.
| Under the management of the electro
magnetic telegraph, which, although a
most useful, was, nevertheless, very dear
means of transmission of news, the expen-
ses of journalism were much increased; and
it soon became evident that unless some
means of economy were devised, many old
and respectable newspapers would either
have to be discontinued or to lag in GER
tain degree behind their more enterprisng
neighbors. This led to an attempt, among
persons who had some knowledge of the
wants of the press, to undertake the bust
ness of news brokerage, and to furnish
news by telegraph from all parts of the
country but they were utterly undone by
the more powerful combination of the As
sociated Press.
And this brings us at last to the main
object of our inquiry, which is-What is
the Associated Press? Here we are, by
a single query, plunged deep into an ocean
of mystery, in which we founder with ut
ter despair, scarcely able to keep ourselves
ahoat, and beyond the hope of being able
to fathom it.
The Associated Press promises much and
fulfls little. 1t undertakes to give us the
news, which is really of importance, tran
spring all over the world, but fully one
half of its business is correcting its own
mistakes and the GOODNESS with which its
blunders are made and charged for, is re-
ally astonishing. 1t gives you lean usu-
ally but if it has any fat there is always
an extra charge. Thus, the Cable news
and Congress news are extra. The doings
of the State Legislatures are held not to be
matters of importance to the newspapers,
and the Associated Press does not furnish
them. If anybody delivers an important
speech anywhere, the Associated Press,
which should give you report of it, dick
ers with you on the subject, and offers to
furnish the report if you are willing to pay
so much more.
A very grave cause of complaint against
the Associated Press is, that it is poorly
served. Many of its agents are incompe-
tent; being SO deficient in judgment that
they really do not know what, among tran
spring events, are of sufficient Importance
to warrant that news of them shall be sent
by telegraph, or printed after it is receiy-
ed. The Cable correspondent in England
gives us full and glowing details of horse
races, and cuts off the political news, show
ing great changes, or expectation of chan
ges, in European affairs, with brief men,
ton. Every steamer brings US, in the
European papers, intelligence of events of
Importance, which the Associated Press
agent in England could not perceive to be
of any interest whatever.
The Associated Press agents in this
country are understood to be agents of
Reuter-, the telegram broker in Europe,
and English readers are as poorly served
as we are here.
The Associated Press is represented to
be an association of publishers of New
York, who have combined together for the
purpose of obtaining news by telegraph
from all parts of the world The Associa-
tiop is composed of the following persons :
james Brooks and Erastus Brooks, pro-
prietors of the New York Express; Prime,
Stone, Hale & Helleck, proprietors of the
New York Journal of Commerce; James
G. Bennett, proprietor of the New York
Herald; Manton Marble, proprietor of the
World; Moses Y. Beach, proprietor of the
New York Sum- Henry j. Raymond &
Co. proprietors of the New York Times,
and the Tribune Association, proprietors
of the New York Tribune,
These individuals have combined togeth-
er for the purpose of obtaining news from
all parts of the world; but, practically,
they are an association of customers, who
receive whatever their agents decree The
agents are really masters of the Associated
Press If a number of persons residing
or doing business in certain neighbor-
hood should unite in the choice of a cook
and caterer, and assure him that they
would take their meals from him, and pay
him if he provided them with ham, hash
and salt mackerel daily, without disputing
his bills, they would occupy about the
same relative position to the keeper of the
restaurant as the Associated Press occu-
pies toward the agent of the Associated
Press.
These great newspapers really have not
the time to station, manage, and control
responsible and reliable agents, wherever
they are needed. They are compelled to
accept and to agree to whatever the agent
does; ; and whether his name be Crpig or
Simonton, he is really the master of the
whole machine, and the ruler of the Asso-
ciated Press. He makes what arrange
ment he pleases, and charges what he plea
ses; and the mission of the Associated
Press seems to be to continue this monop-
oily, against which no journal can protest
with any hope of being successful in its
opposition.
The New York Associated Press, at an
early period in its history, finding that the
sum which its caterer charged for his dai-
% s9d Ia t s masbst' s bs
, ses might be greatly reduced by allowing
the Press of other cities to purchase the
news which its agent might furnish, at
rates to be agreed upon. Under this pol