Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-02-20
END OF A NEWSPAPER FIGHT
Practical Dissolution of the United Press
Announced.
Story of the Rise and Supremacy OF
The Associated Press-System
In News Gathering.

From the New York Evening Post February 10.
The Sun announces the practical disso-
luton of the United Press by the with
drawal Of the Tribune, Herald and Times,
and says that the Sun will also cease to
be a member thirty days from the date
hereof" but that 1t will collect the news
for itself and discharge all the obligations
imposed upon it by reason of It's former
connection with said United Press. The
public have noticed items in the press
more or less frequently during the past
three or four years announcing that this
or that newspaper had discontinued the
news service Of the United Press and made
contract with the Associated Press, or
vice versa. These items have conveyed
very little Information except to news
paper men, but by the latter they have
been watched with keen interest. The
present Is suitable occasion for telling
the public what it all means.
New York Associated Press.
Some time back in the forties or fifties
loose partnership was formed between
seven newspapers in this city, which
called itself the New York Associated
Press. for the collection of a certain kind
of news which every newspaper must
have. This included the proceedings of
Congress and of the state legislature, also
certain ship news and local news. The
chief expense incurred was in the tollec-
ton and transmission of news by tele-
graph. The New York Associated Press
was never Incorporated, not did it have
any articles of partnership prepared and
filed in legal form. 1t did not need any,
1t had president, a general agent and
set Of rules or bylaws. ard each of the
seven newspapers had seat and vote
at It's monthly meetings.
This was in the day of small things,
but the business grew apace, and the
newspapers Of other cities asked permits
sion to share in the news and the ex-
pense. This privilege was conceded, SUBJ
ject to the rules of the New York Asso-
ciated Press. No newspaper outside of
New York had any rights in the premises
Any newspaper could be cut off from par
ticipation i'll the news with reason or with
out reason. None were ever cut off so
long as they paid their dues and obeyed
the rules; but as the position of the out
side press was not self-sustaining as it
involved certain amount of risk az we'll
as taxation without representation, GER
tain geographical groups of the newspa-
pers formed associations of their own for
mutual support and protection The first.
or at all events the most important. of
these was the Western Associated Press
which embraced the leading journals be-
tween the Alleghanies and the Mississippi
river. Other associations were formed
from time to time-the New England. the
New York State, the Southern and the
California. In 1867 the Western Associates
Press reheiled against some rule or assess
ment Of the New York association. and
seeded for a short time, but the compact
was shortly afterward renewed on the
basis OF an exchange Of news, a division
OF territory and an adjustment of ex-
per ses.
United Press.
Gradually an opposition news agency
grew up, called the United Press. This
was joint stock concern. 1t differed
from the Associated Press in the fact that
the latter did not have gains, profits and
dividends in view. but merely a reduction
OF expenses In the collection of such news
as all papers must have. In other words
II was a cooperative undertaking. while
the United Press was an enterprise to
make money Tor the stockholders. Some
time during the past ten years-about the
year 1887, perhaps-the receipts of the New
York Associated Press became so large that
the disposition of the surplus became a
matter OF serious consideration. as it was
about the same time with the government
OF the United States. Two methods were
available for the purpose. One was to re-
duce assessments on the outside press the
other was to divide the money among the
New York partners. The latter method
was adopted. naturally enough
This method Of treating the surplus could
not be concealed forever. 1t led to grum-
bling on the part Of those who paid it, but
as they could not help themselves It might
have gone on indefinitely had not certain
members Of the New York Associated
Press, under the lead Of the Sun, conceived
the idea Of buying up the stock of the
United Press. swallowing the old Associat-
ed Press, and turning the Pactolean stream
into the form Of dividends for the stock
holders of the former concern. This plan
was put In execution, and 1t led to an in
vestigatiOn and report by a special COM
mittee Of the Western Associated Press in
which certain charges were made, not only
against two directors Of the New Yori.
concern. but against two Of their own
members.
Whether these charges were well founded
or not we do not know, nor Is 1t now ma
teriai. The upshot Of the matter was that
the whole press of the country found itself
suddenly at the mercy Of q joint stock COM
pany, the United Press. which had Alb
sorbed so much Of the old combination that
1t was like building up a new Organization
from the bottom for anybody to stay out or
resist. Under the new regime. ali papers
were compelled to pay what was charged
for the news. They had nothing to saw
about prices or terms or anything else I'M
Less they were stockholders. and then only
in proportion to their stock.
The Associated PFess.
The situation was intolerable. yet 1t re-
-