New-York tribune., 1884-02-27
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
CONGRESS- AND THE WESTERN UNION.
pR. GREEN REFUSES TO PRODUCE THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS CONTRACT.


PRESS CONTRACT.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-Dr. Norvin Green
examination before the subcommittee on the senate
Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads was eoH'''
yesterday lie denied the right Of the committee az.
the Senate to demand the production OF eohV"o's -
Western Union Telegraph Company as II "'s NJ y, ,no
,cDand tho, tose contracts exceeded the power OF tue
CORPORATION. Ee added that the contracts ~ o'l
,vbicb he was asked 10 produce, were not III LIS
sion and could not be given out without tne cose"
The directors OF the company and tha' u 'He ' 10
ties 10 the contracts. In reply TO an inquiry I'm -.
Tor Hill he refused 10 answer questions - ~ Inv
from the Gold and stock Telegraph Company from Ine
rIa t,,cts and other outside sources OF revenue lie
"a ,hat these inquiries were nqusitoral in their
nature - ~
mott Congress has right TO legisate in the matter mas
IL mnotl
No sir not the least in the world replied Mr. Gwinn
Dr Green's counsel.
Senator H-Do you deny the right Of Congress 10 reg
ulate your Interstate businessl
Mr. Gwinn-No but Congress has right 10 interfere
with the management of our private business
Senator Hill cannot agree with you on that
Mr. Gwinn-very well, we Will try that with You any
day -
DR. Green offered TO the committee dispatch from Will
lam Henry smith, the general manager OF the Associated
moned probably as witness the dispatch could be taken
II NAV stated howev that it referred to the lnco
The existing contract continuing certain preceding CON
tracts that there must be some exclusive privileges re-
served and was designed to correct thus impression M
smith that there no exclusive prlsge, ana
that the ~ T Colorado and other parts Of
the West The extension OF the rates OF the new c0n
tbeky settled East would have hardship TO the
papers OF the Southwest and West and II was agreed tha
Ine eoSa IN SSS ss before the contract
executed OF the original contract executed IN ana
inconsistent with the contract before the COMMITTED MI
Smith expressed the hope that Dr Green cen Toaa exPL ~
the original contract by mutual consent about Twelve
ysI'sas0 yesrs aO contract s the West 1t was the
first effort 10 systematZe business tnSi
and newspapers became able enterprsng enough to
take the report II was made when DOtn the tee
The clause cancelled by mutual agreement required that
the press should he done exclusively by western
Company made the proposition, and was accepted on
behalf OF the Associated Press by Richard smith ana
Horace White. Thus was abrogated the only exclusive
clause in the original contract since tnen men mere i % @ % Gu
loved no privilege that is not open papers. Mr.
Smith added that IL the committee SHAH consent 20
ngs of the Associated Press they may get accurate in
formation the witnesses have been conspic
He suggested the of David NJ stone President of
New-York Associated Press Joseph Medll Presi-
dent of the Western Associated Press; and Richard
Smith Walter n. Hademan, Charles A. Dana, WhiteaE
Reid and Gordon Bennett who are responsible for
the present management, persons capable OF talking
intelligenty on the subject
DR. Green said that attempt was made IN November
10 raise the certain newspapers which did not
patronze the Western Union exclusively. He mad re
versed this order and all were entitled TO tae
for special reports he dened that here mao
been any negOtiatOns between the Western Union and
The Baltimore and Ohio Company within the last year
Mr. Gwhn counsel for Dr. Green, added that there was
no truth the report limited at by senator Hill that an
agreement had been drawn up and signed between
these two companies within the past year. Dr. Green
remarked that a contract signed two years ago
mad been Knocked into a cooked hat by the elder Mr.
Garrett After Green discharged be said that
the Government 1T 10 condemn the property OF the
1ur Of ha sfIQ ilaT
any tribunal framed the purpose Of ascertainng the
value OF properly entitled TO the contracts the
Government going become the owner OF the prop
rrty he would had all the Information neces
sary.
Construction Of the Mutual Union Telegraph Company
testified as the Of building and maintaining tee-
graph lines