The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-01-05
EXIT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Once 0mnipotent News Trust Is
Merged Into the United Press.
History of the Birta, Glory and
Dissolution ct an Old and
Famous News Gather
ing agency.

The Associated Press, the oldest news
collecting agency in the United States,
which for about two generations has
supplied general Geographic news to
nearly all the leading newspapers in the
country, was merged on January with
its young and powerful rival, the United
Press Association. This means much to
the newspapers OF the whole country, and
is OF interest to every newspaper reader.
The New York Associated Press was or
ganized nearly half century ago by the
leading morning newspapers of New York
city to collect telegraphic news of the
United States, and after the first Atlantic
cable was laid, of Europe. The news
was sold to the other newspapers in every
other important American city.
With the marvellous growth of the tele-
the number OF daily papers printed in
small towns, the business OF the Associa-
ted Press expanded from nightly serv-
ice of a few hundred words OF Geographic
news bulletins to daily service often
exceeding 100000 words from all points
of the civilized world. The business of
selling this news to the newspapers OF
other cities became in time so profitable
to the New York association that its
members were not only able to get their
own news service practically free, but
they distributed at stated intervals hand
some dividends on the money invested.
So valuable did this partnership become
to each of the original members that the
Associated Press franchise" as it was
called, was estimated as an asset worth
$3.50 900 alone. The newspapers owning
it, not only of New York, but the subor-
dinate associations in Chicago. Philadel-
phia and other cities, united in refusing
admission on any terms to all newspa-
pers. The Chicago newspapers in like
manner formed a Western Associated
Press, the leading southern papers a
Southern association, the Philadelphia
papers a Philadelphia association, all
of these being allies but subordinate to
the New York Associated Press, each
closing it doors, by the unanimous vote
OF all its members, against all new COM
ers. No closer corporation could be i'm
agined.
Constant demands of new and grow
ing newspapers in all parts of the coun-
try for q rival association led more than
ten years ago to the organization of the
United Press Association, which had at
first only single member in New York
city and fifty subscribers in other lesser
towns and cities. 1t sought new custom
ers as eagerly as its great opponent, the
Associated Press, refused them, and it
grew in influence, resources and scope
year by year.
A few months ago the younger associa-
ton dealt its ancient competitor an unex-
pected blow by making a contract with
the Southern Associated Press which had
been for generation a valuable ally of
the New York Associated Press. This
step was soon followed by another and
greater coup. The Western Associated
Press, which included all the leading
morning papers of Chicago, St. Louis, st.
Paul, Minneapolis, Denver, San Francisco
and intermediate cities, sent notice to the
New York Associated Press that at the
termination of their contracts they would
dissolve their partnership and their fu-
ture alliance would be with the United
Press. The campaign of the United
Press which had been SO signally success
full in the south and west, was then car
ried to Europe and contract was made
with the most powerful news agency
there, Reuters Telegraph company,
which performs for the leading English
and Continental newspapers the same
function that the Associated Press dis
charged for the American press. Reut-
eris news had been bought exclusively
by the New York Associated Press for
use throughout the United States. The
United Press got it.
The old Associated Press, which had
been so many years refusing all newspa-
per applicants, was driven to seek them in
the west and south to seek new sources
of news in Europe; and the great loss
of income incurred by the loss of impor-
tant newspapers in other cities was ac-
by still greater expense in
collecting news which had hitherto been
supplied by its newspaper partners in
other cities practically free of charge.
A crisis in the Associated Press was in
Dictated last summer when the New York
Sun cast away, as no longer valuable, its
partnership in the New York Associated
Press and entered the United Press.
Other losses OF New York papers being
imminent proposition for practical con-
solidation OF the two associations was
made and is now ratified. On January
the old and once all powerful New York
Associated Press "a single share in which
was counted as worth quarter OF mil
lion dollars was succeeded by the new
ASSOCIATION with the consolidated resour-
ees of both the United and Associated
Press, under the management of Walter
p. Phillips, whose direction of the United
Press has been so signally successful.
The name of the new association is not
finally chosen, but it is likely to be the
National Associated Press.