The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
MA TIONAL PRESS CLUB
By Frederic J. Haskin.



 For years one of the recognized needs in Washington has been a Press Club that would be in keeping with the dignity and importance of the part taken by the newspaper men In the affairs of the nation. The National Press Club. in reality the organization of newspaper Swriters of the United States, has been formed to fill this requirement. Although 1t Is not quite a year old, the new club has over 300 members. including the Washington representatives of nearly all the i'm portant newspapers in America. The non- resident membership is rapidly filling with writers from all parts of the country. and the roster will soon include the most imposing array of writing talent ever assembled together in any one organization. Larger quar- ters will be occupied in a few days, and among the notables who will at tend the opening will be both the President and the Vice President of the United States.
 The National Press Club is in no sense a rival of the Gridiron Club. that most famous of all dining organiza- tions. The majority of the Gridiron men are also on the roster of the Ma tional The Gridiron had its birth in the mind of Major John M. Carson. for many years dean of the corps of Wash ington correspondents, but now chief of the Bureau of Manufactures of the Census Office. During the last twenty years the Gridiron Club has entertain ed more famous people than any other dining club in the worlds history. Every year scores of the most noted men in the country travel from all parts of the United States to Washing ton to attend It's unique functions.
 There Is no other city whose daily news Is one-tenth as important to the nation at large as that of the capital. and the Washington date line appears more often than any other in the average American newspaper. Aside from subjects of general concern there are always matters of acute local interest originating here. Con- sequently. 1t becomes as important for each leading newspaper to have It's own Washington correspondent as it Is to have good reporters at home. The men who serve in Washington are usually those who have proved their mettle in the home office before being sent to the capital. They know the workings of all the branches of the government. and soon prove them selves worthy to be trusted with all sorts of condolences. In his farewell address to the newspaper men. MT. Roosevelt stated that among them he had many as capable advisers as he could find anywhere inside or out of the government service. The appoint ments which came unsolicited to Wash lngton correspondents proves that this statement was not one of the Insin- cere hyperboles that sometimes accom- pany farewell messages.
 The corps of Washington correspon- dents ia one of the most uniuue or ganizations in the country. At the beginning of each Congress the news paper men meet and organize. elect ing a standing committee of five. who are thier representatives In all busi- ness matters in which the members of the fraternity are collectively interest ed. Cooperating with the Speaker of the House and the Committee on Rules of the Senate, they have Jurisdiction over the press galleries of the Senate and House. They pass upon the credentials of all who apply for the privileges of the press galleries and it is their duty to see that only bona fide newspaper men are admitted. It Is easier to get through the proverbial eye of the needle than past that stand ing committee. unless one is entitled to the privilege.
 The amount of copy handled out oi Washington every day Is astonishing The two telegraph companies daily transmit about 125,00O words of press matter. In addition to this there are four press associations whose com blned daily output amounts to about T50, 900 words. Each associati has its own leased wires. it's own operators and it's own distributing facilities Then there are some twenty big news papers which have their own leased