Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-22
ASSOCIATED rnsss NOE a Trust.


ASSOCIATED PRESS NOT a TKusT.
Question Ably Answered by Mr.. Tre.l-
erick Lehman. of ST. Louis.
One of the toaSts at the annual ban
quet Of The Associated Press in Chi
cago. on the night of the 18th inst.
was rs the Associated Press u Trust?-'
1t was responded to by Mr.. Frederick
Lehman. of st. Louis, who said:
Mr.. Toastlnaster and gentlemen OF
The Associated Press: ! am very glad
To meet with my client. gathered az ne
is from the lakes and the gulf. fr IN
sne western and tn. eastern frontiers
of the country. in this central city Of
Aemican civilization. and | am glad to
know that he is not only associated
but 'Socable' as well.
When received the invitation from
Mr.. Stone to be here recognized in II
an Illustration of his habitual foresight
and sasacity An English solicitor.
having occasion to dine with his client,
after the case had been tried had suc.,
recpllections Of the even, that lie en-
erred it as the largest item in his bill
of costs To dining with you. after YER
dict OF the jury against us ) pounds
MI stone has taken the precauti0n 70
nave us dine together before the casp
is tried. so that there will ut. no pns 81
bility of an adverse forum. interrer-
ing with the good cheer OF the occ;-
sion.
rs the Associated Press Trust?
Voices: No. NOD 1t was suggested TO-
day that it had some Of the cn;trac ter
istics of that institution, and that the
representatives of American newspa-
pers when they met together laughed
IN each others faces, as did tie old
Roman augurs in the sacrifices. ii at
ter four hundred years of li. use ,,r
h.,t tI,ts 10.
certify and c;.ndor Iii its chief lain stcrs
than in the pagan priesthood. it We're.
better that the art had never beer, dis
covered.
What is a trust? Not in the tcchn,-
cal sense. but in the broad and pops.
ulit' sense of the word? IL is an assoc
citation. combination. arrangement q,
understanding between tn. producers
NJ dealers in a commodity for the pur-
pose of enhancing Its price to the pup
lie. The i'retext in every instance has
been some Improvement of internal
economy which shall reduce the cost Of
production. and that being true it fol-
lows that the trust is bcnciicial at once
Ia its promoters and to the public And
If that We're true the public has intel
lisenrc enough to rcrr,iv. it and they
would believe ii. I:ut they do not be-
lieve it. and for the simple reason that
1t is not true.
The trust finds Itself relieved from
the necessity of Improving It's intern
al economies, because ii has power
over the market: it has central OF
prices. and thus secures It's profits and
does not have occasion "a work for the
improvements that tend tn !, reduction
OF cost And while In many instances
reductions in prices have followed the
formation of II trust. they have ;llwny.
been in spite of il and never because
I.,t 1. a ~, y ,
he amy objection On the part of tie
public TO competitors in amy line of
business engaging With each other In
| respect of anything in which through
competitors they have Yet Il common,
interest. Suppos" the manufacturers
OF buffalo united tn utilize tho water
power OF Niagara Falls. Nobody YOU Il
characterize that as Il trust. Stpl,uss,.
the merchants Of Chicago combined TO
secure better transportation facilities
for the city. Nobody would character
lie that AS n trust. And this is the
test whether an association between
people in the same business is !. trust
or whether il Is II combination for
purposes of internal "coil"lny-,,locs the
association deal exclusively with Il
matter of common internal interest to
them or DOES it deal with their rela-
tons to the public:
Now, apply that test to the Assocl-
Hd ,eh fgefT ress The b,usinssS Ct The As
matter Of internal economy. II rel,
to the gathering Of news, ana it dee
not relate IN the vending of newspa :
pers. There is nothing in the articles
IF the Associated Press. there Is nOth-
'nS IN it's tacit unIcrs standings. there II
nothing consistent with the purposes
of its organization which can result
in a combination between the newspa
pcrs themselves having for its purpose
,he regulation of the prices at which
papers are sold, And the sole ohjecl
Of the association is to regulate It's IN
tern:il economy in its own interest ana
equally in the interest Of the public
Ana every newspaper man can hon.
estly and copSccnliuus!y defend his
scheme of cooperation With his broth
zen in the news gathering business
tAurauSc) And in this position | an
glad To say that am confirmed hy
those who are opposing us In the It'll
CATION before the court. In Missouri
one gentleman is trying. With tii. help
Of the courts. to h,irsliriZc the inst.
tuition To break int. it, and Wlsile he
lndulScS In some cpitlletS he under
takes distinctly to dspruvc that tn.
Associated Press is n combination OF
the newspapers: and undertakes to
characterize it as n distinct institution
seeking to suhserve it's OWN purposes
IF pecuniary profit without regard to
the immediate interests of the indiviG-
ual newspapers that make up its mem
bcrshp. And the dependence in thal
ease for compelling the Associated
Press TO serve him With its reports.
whether il will or no. is rather upon
the view that the press is engaged in
service of public nature.
There are services which the law
from time iinmemoral has recognized
us public. has regulated ana has com
PEELED to be at the disposal Of whose
eyer sought them. The most famlia:
instance is that OF the common CARL
CT: and the elaborate provisions of the
Interstate Commerce law ri the United
States. and the equally elaborate pro-
visions of the difcr.n; state rcg,lla-
tons of railroads declare. no principle
which was not an essential part of the
law OF the kings highway 800 years
ago, and which did not apply just as
much! to the commerce that was car
ried on in cattle carts between the
towns Of Great britain then. as it APP
plies to the commerce carried on by
the RAILWAYS of this country today