The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-05-01
4z1ReaApHIC NEWS IMPOSITION.

Liz ICdOCIo VI IH0 OdlG hdhS
daily newspapers observed during
April, very limited and Imperfect
Geographic reports. There were
days when only a few lines of tele.
grams appeared, and at no time
within the month were the dis
patches anything like as full as
they had beer previously. The
failure of the report to come
through was due to the prostrati0n
of the telegraph lines by storms.
This, OF course, could not be helped,
the company doing all in its power
10 give good service. But the gen.
eral 'thinne5s" and shortening of
the reports are due to an entirely
different cause, and it is one that it
is feared fine weather will not rem
edy. For years past the Salt Lake
papers have been buying from the
Western Union Telegraph Company
the Geographic reports that were
sent to California press association
made up Of the San Francisco Cali,
Bulletin, AltG, Sacramento Record
Union and other of the Pacific
coast journals. The dispatches
were made up with no special refer
ence to the wants of the Utah press
or people, but as our readers are
aware, they were fairly good reports
and generally full. They COM
pared favorabiy with the re-
ports supplied by eastern
press associations, and while they
were not all that might have been
desired there was comparatively
little complaint concerning them.
Last winter the Western Press Asso- |
citation, with headquarters in Chi
cago, assumed control Of the press
dispatches to the Pacific states and |
territories. An agent was sent out
here, and the newspapers we're
politely Informed that beginning |
with April they would be required |
to pay about % per cent. more for
their dispatches than they had been
doing, the advance following close
onto the heels of a similar one few
before, However. in return |
for the increased charge, the news
papers were told that the reports
were to be made up with special
reference to the wants Of the terri.
5ory covered, would be fuller. and |
altogether better. The expense of /
gathering and forwarding the report
would be greater, in keeping with
5he improved service, hence the ne
sessaFy advance in price. The same
song had been sung before, and al
yays failed of fulfllment, hence
little confidence was placed in the
agents refrain. However, nothing
could be done but accept the situa-
ton, and conform to whatever
new rules and requirements the ]
powers that be saw fit to
impose. The Salt Lake papers
are completely at the mercy of the
press association and telegraph
company. They are not in condi-
ton to gather and have transmitted
special Geographic reports. They
must buy what is offered them and
nav the price asked. Grumbling
does no good. They are given to
understand that they are not OBJ
liged to take the dispatches that are
sent, but they must take them' be
they little OF much good or bad, or
90 without. This is the situation
they are in, and the press association
and telegraph company know it.
Well, we have been receiving and
publishing for just one month, the
new, improved and more expen'
sive telegraphic news service; and
never since there has been tele-
graphic news service for the city
have there been louder or better
grounded complaints on the part OF
both press and public. The report
has been so short as to be insignifi-
cant, and large portion of it has
been made up of stuff that is of no
possible interest or value to news
| paper readers anywhere between
Omaha and San Francisco. The
fact that anybody pretending to be
a neWsgatherer can be so stupid as
to send much of the truck that
comes over the wires and call it
news, excites wonder if not disgust.
AS remarked, the Salt Lake
papers are powerless in the matter.
They understand, better even than
their readers do, the imposition that
is practiced upon them, and know
how they are being robbed and
cheated, but at present their hands
are tied and they cannot DEFEND
| . 1.., -, ,,,o+aot their natrOnS.