The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-18
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
The Agent Before the Senate Rail-
road Committee.
ITS ORIGIN, LABORS And PURPOSES.
Charge Of Mcnopolizing News
Disposed OF.
RELATIONS TO THE TELEGRAPH COMPANY
Effect of the Proposed Legislation on
the Organization
WASHINGTON. Feb. II. 1879.

W. Sihon'on Win resru W tnc reiaSiohsniP vi 1he
Western Union Telegraph Company to the New York
ass,ci.tad pr.ss 10 rho Sonata co,nm,ttea on Rail,
roads TINS afternoon
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN
am invited to state the relations between the wes-
tern Union Telegraph Company and the institution
which has been designated .as that great monopoly
the Associated Press" The form of inquiry as
sumed that the Associated Press is great MONOPOLY:
that it lives and thrives by favor or connvanco OF
the Western Union Telegraph Company, and that its
newer may and oupbt TO be broken by hostile Ieeis.
lation against said company / propose to satisfy
you. if l can, that the Associated Press is not
monopoly. in any true sense, and that there is moth
ing about it which an intelligent legislator who
derstand the subject would desire to Interfere WITH
if he had rightful power to do Should you
still that any effort to destroy the Asso-
ciated Press by assault upon the telegraph company.
must be abortive and will be illogical and unjust
the blind vengeance of the savage who compasses
day because yesterday he wronged by
iawiess white ruhan who crossed his path.
WHAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Is.
Time forbids statement in detail of the plan and
methods or the Associated Press Stated IN the con-
crete, the organization is combination of journal
lists all over the country to collect by their own
agents and TO exchange with each other tho current
of the day. 1t is not corporation 1t derives
no element of success from special legislation. state
national. Its every OF power and strength
is the direct creation OF its owners and controllers
and their associates in the press. and use of their
combined capital experience and skill. The Assoc
ciated Press Is not mercantile trader in news.
in the sense that the house of Stewart Il Co. is
dealer i'll dry goods 1t is rather a great mutual
VINO, having common interests and common needs.
work together for efficiency and economy in serving
ana supplying such interests and needs. is true
that Journalists all over the country pay s,lch
OF money as may be mutually agreed upon to the
shet ONCE OF the organization, located in New York
Guy; out THESE are IN taet pad as equitable balances
due by each other i'll settlement of the costs Of MAIN
tanning the organization and of bringing from for
eign lands the required news The basis OF the whole
system Is the exchanging or swapping of home
domestic news. The press OF Boston, Albany, Phla-
dolphin, Chicago, St. Louis New Orleans or San Fran
cisco. Tor instance. must each give to the common
agent OF the association in each of said cities and
TOT the use OF all the local news OF that city and its
suburbs That Is the frst price which it pays to the
organization for tine right 10 receive the advantages
OF reciprocal reporting by the local press OF all the
other places. Then each pays what is agreed upon
rs its share OF the cost of buying. collecting and
cabling to the OF all the world outside of
United States; the saaries OF paid agents wherever
they are requred reats, cost of stationery and the
Thousand Incidental expenditures indispensable in
extended abusiness, amounting in the main Office
alone TO $5uUc0O per year, we'll the cost of tee
graphic distribution OF the news from the points of
concentration TO the numerous publishing points.
The New York Office is at once the general director
and the clearing house for this vast cooperative
Dus-E'ss OF exchanging news.
This cooperative society Of newspapers has be-
come very arge II Includes IN fact. at least ninety
fve pr cent of ali the newspapers in the country
which are financially able to bear their share Of the
cost, and it includes many-cspcciaily in the South
era Statcs-which could not get our reports at all If
our daily compendium OF tho world current his
tory were not supried to them telegraph tolls ana
other charges an paid for less than tho lowest sal
AIRY which would be accepted by an intelligent CORE
fpondeT FOR writing daily letter from any single
point
TIE EXPENSES.
The Associated Press has capital stock and
makes none but the just dividends weekly ASSESS
incnts. Its working capital IN the capital OF the
seven New York city papers. whose publishers OF
necessity assume the chief organizing management
and it's responsibilities.
1t will be from what have already said that
the work OF the Associated Press is private bust
ness, carried oil under the same moral, legal and
constitutional rights which permit any one paper in
the metropolis q country village collect and
publish It's local news 1t il. in short cooperating
nj lin in nrip c,vla IN hat
controlling cooperative store for the economical
purchase and exchange Of dry goods, groceries
farm produce.
1t VIII therefore be noted that what the Associated
Press controls is simply its organized system and
machinery for collecting and exchanging news.
These are its own by night OF invention and creation,
though It asks no patent Tor protection against
Others who may choose to invent, create or organize
Similar combinations for exchanging news.
not MONOPOLY.
Those who dencunce 1T az monopoly do so from
amisapprchension OF fact, assuming that anything
they cannot get share in on their own terms must