Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-03-06
PRESS CENSORSHIP.


 from Phoenix yesterday morning, R. M. Dawson, correspondent for the Silver Belt at the capital, was by motion of George W. P. Hunt, with Brady o'Neil in the chair, denied the privilege of the council chamber floor. This action fol lowed an attack of President Hunt on the correspondent the day before, in which the president of the council call ed MT. Dawson a liar in the presence of the council and visitors, many ladies being present.
 And what was the cause for this out burst against the Silver Belt and its representative?
 Some time ago members of the coun- cil, including President Hunt, held a conference with representatives of the railroads in the Fleming block in Phoe- nix. Press representatives were not allowed to be present at the meeting and after the meeting was over it was impossible to obtain anything like a full account of the proceedings at this conference. Our representative was in formed by at least two of those who were present that the meeting was held in the office of Frank Cox, a rail road attorney. MT. Hunt was asked as to the place of the meeting and told that the story was out that it was in Cox's office, and at that time he would not deny that it was true. On the strength of these interviews, MT. Daw- son in bis story to the Silver Belt, stated that the meeting was in Cox 8 office. As matter of fact the meet ing between members of the council and the railroad representatives was in the rooms of Ben Goodrich, in the same block.
 THIS WAS THE ONLY DIS CREPANCY IN THE STORY, and that there was any error at all was due to the fact that tho members present at the conference would not give out a straight statement and left the news paper people to get the news as best they could. Furthermore, the matter stood unchallenged for at least two weeks before any notice was taken of it, when it found it's culmination in the outbreak against the Silver Belt and its correspondent above referred to, and the subsequent denial of the privilege of the council chamber to him.
 As far as the Silver Belt was in error in reporting the proceedings of the meeting, it is more than glad to make any reparat!on and correction in its power, and herewith states that at the present time its best information is that the meeting was held in the rooms of Ben Goodrich on the second floor of the Fleming block in Phoenix, instead of in the office of Frank Cox on the third floor of the same building, as published at the time.
 The Silver Belt, upon being inform cd of the truth of the matter Thursday evening, wired it's correspondent that correction would be made "as to the place of meeting" and yesterday morn ing, on motion of MT. Hunt, Che cor respondent was rehabilitatcd in his priv. ilege of the council chamber.
 We hope this closes the incident, but in passing cannot refrain from sug- gest ng that if men in public life were more frank with newspaper people there would be fewer errors made in news reporting. The exclusion of a news paper representative from the floor of legislative body is unusual almost unprecedented-and the only cases on record are of instances where the priv ilese had been grossly misused. We think the error made was trivial, but nevertheless make the correction freely and gladly, and if any harm was done