The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-02-09
NOT "FREE PASSES"
But an Opportunity to Make Best
!. Possible Contract Wanted.


To the Editor: I note with regret
that you find cause for offering objec-
tions to Senator Wards bill authorizing
newspapers to- execute contracts with
transportation companies without the
lnequitous restrictions the present law
has been construed to impose. The
editors are not asking for ''free passes"
and few, if any of them, have ever en-
joyed that ''happy distinction" by
courtesy of the railroads. They have
always given ''value, received in ad-
vertising space, for every mile travell-
ed and it is reflection upon their in
tegrity and loyalty to the State to pre-
dict disastrous results from the passage
of bill according to them the right
make the best contract possible with
transportation companies. Senator
Wards bill is simply an amendment to
the law regulating transportation and
here is the only provision:
"And nothing in this act shall be con-
strued to prevent or restrict transporta-
tion companies from contracting with
newspapers for advertising space in ex-
change for transportation over their
lines to such an extent as may be
agreed upon between the two parties
for said consideration
The bill was prepared and agreed up
on by the Legislative Committee or the
North Carolina Press Association by
the passage of which it is proposed to
carryout the spirit of that organization
as manifested at the last annual session
held in Morehead City. Of the entire
assemblage, only two dissenting voices
were raised in the discussion and that
by members whose locating is such that
the present law imposes little 1ncon-
venience. But why infict injury upon
the smaller country papers. simply be-
cause the larger weeklies and big city
dailies get all the transportation they
want? just as well say country edi-
tor shall not receive cord of wood in
exchange for years subscription if
agreeable to a patron who does not OBJ
ject to settling his subscription account
IN that way. What's the, differeEee29
The country editors are doing as much
for the upbuilding of North Carolina as
any other agency and are never found
wanting in political campaigns. The
Democratic party owes it's present lease
of power largely to the untiring efforts
of rural weeklles. Yet because they
present a modest request for permission
to negotiate advertising space, it is sug-
gested that they seek to destroy the
free pass law and thereby endanger the
safety of the State. A mistaken idea
Mr.. Editor. The editors are them
selves opposed to 'Ffree passes'' and are
only asking permission to contract for
all the transportation they may be able
to secure and pay for what they re-
ceive. The newspapers alone are in
terested in Senator Wards bill, which
leaves the matter of executing contracts
entirely with them and the transporta-
tion companies, inficting no hardship
upon either.
1t IS man1festIy unjust for the larger
papers who get all the transportation
they need-for the asking-or the men,
bers of the General Assembly, by
whom we country editors have stood in
many hard-fought campaigns to deny
US the right to obtain the best contract
possible for our advertising space. The
present law imposes distinct hardship
upon us and one we can ill afford to toll
crate and which is meeting, the earnest
protest of nine-tenths of the country
press of the State. ''Give" us nothing
free, but for goodness sake leave us
alone to fight our battles without
restriction or molestation,-M. L. Ship
man, in Raleigh News and Observer.
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