The Washington herald., 1909-01-31


tives Of a few financial journals would
make il their aii-day headquarters.
Statements Are Printed.
Most departments have press room
for the convenience Of the newspaper
workers. Most Of them issue regular
publications. from which the correspond
ents extract material adapted 20 the
needs OF their respective localities. The
Treasury, for example. prints each noon
a statement Of the nations financial con-
dition. Every Thursday morning it brings
+. out & pamphlet known rs Treasury IL
cisions.~ and it has several monthly pub
lieations.
The post-Ofice issues an interesting
daily bulletin. telling OF all postmasters
] appointed resigned and deceased tOgern-
er with new Offices and routes, star and
rural free delivery. and so forth The
I daily consular reports have 2 more
extensive and expensive corps OF foreign
( correspondents than any other Publica-
ton Of their size in the world. and per-
( haps OF any size.
/ When Congress is in session the Con-
( gressional Record. which comes out each
4 morning. carries a verbatim report Of all
/ the proceedings Of both Houses. The
]
( done much to lower the interest Of this
/ otherwise informing journal since the
/ presence OF actual listeners invariably
/ exercises a beneficial influence upon the
/ speechmaker.
4 Certain bureaus prepare material for
+ the press and distribute It amonS the
! correspondents. The newspaper articles
I which appear Monday mornings and
Z Thursday afternoons. telling the condi-
( ton OF business in some particular indus
trail line OF expectation or home manu-
facture. over a Washington date line, and
usually marked special" come from the
I Bureau Of Statistics OF the Department
! OF Commerce and Labor It interprets
statistics as well as complies them Other
bureaus Systematically release for 81
multaneOus publication IN as many news
papers as care for them. facts and fig
ures derived from current government
work, and OF supposed public interest
The Census Office announcements are es-
pecially noteworthy.
Want 10 Learn Disclosures.
These are all aids in reporting the Ma
tional Capital The trouble with them as
a sole reliance is that the public likes
best not routine information Of an accept
ed sort. but the more sensational dis
closures which must come as the result
Of the correspondents personal investi-
cation or research, or perhaps accidental
discovery.
The press associations. Of course cover
ali the department. but in a rather r0u-
tine and coIOrless way. Each special
correspondent, by contrast. follows the
line Of his papers interests, sectional. I
political. or otherwise. Eastern CORE E
spondents rarely do much AZ the Interior
Department. for example, whose concerns
are with Indians, public lands. irrigation,
and the like; the Treasury is the great
source OF information for New York. I
Boston. and Chicago men The value Of
the State War and Navy Departments
as news sources depends on the swing
Of the doors Of the Temple Of Janus.
In time Of war. their corridors are well
trOdden by all newspaper men: in time
Of peace. these departments fall, as a
rule, into the hands Of specialists. Soma
Washington newspaper men make them (
selves specialists IN army and navy af- /
fairs. or in an acquaintance among the 4
diplomats. and often have a regular con-
nectiOn with the service papers, while 4
supplying at space rates such Of the 4
dailies as desire occasional material OF 4
this sort
But II is at the Capitol. when Congress
is in session, that most Of the newspaper
men spend most Of their time These two /
mosts" are used advisedly A bureau
containing several men. ike those Of the
newspapers OF the largest cities, VIII keep 4
one man at the White House and near
by departments, and perhaps two at the
Capitol. The man who serves alone one
or more papers viii put in most Of his
time on Capitol Hill
Want Varied Features
The 80 men admitted 10 the press gal
lery. which is the test OF real newspaper
standing. represent about as many meth
Ods Of work and lines Of interest. No
two newspapers want Just the same ma
terial: some newspapers want every
thing written from the point Of view OF
their locality with Second Lieut..
Smith, Of Robinson City, standing At
his post OF duty, Admiral Dewey sailed
into Manila Bay" would be one way Of
writing an account Of that famous en-
gagement for the Robinson City newspa-
pers. To disregard absolutely any local
interest, IN the tone and cOloring Of the
sketch. IS the opposite policy. This lat
ter plan gives an article better historical
Il IS also less unlike that OF I
the AssOciatd Press, which viii go in on
the wires with the special dispatch
The New York newspapers pay little
10 locality in their narratives,
whereas some OF the smaller cities main ;
tain special Washington service almost ,
solely TO get this local touch. Each edi-
-Or must decide for himself whether the ,
pensions and patents granted IN the cOuR-
I
7eT's own version Of the Senate tariff
programme for the next Congress.
Many similar lines Of cleavage run
through the reporting OF Washington
,oloring from the political point OF visw ]
presents other considerations: some pa ]
'ers tolerate only a little Of II, others 7
want a great deal The Associated Press, Z
neutral. necessarily leans :
0mewbat toward the official view, since
[ IS relied on to carry the formal state :
nents. announcements. and proclama-
ions Of those IN power and authority
IN repOrting Congress. some changes
ave come 10 pass IN the last generation,
which show that fashion. in dealing IN
he commodity known as news, is Just
s arbitrary a dictator as in the models
4 Partisan millinery We may think the
ame thought our fathers thought. but
Te require from the press different stim-
llating influences TO produce them
Little Attention to Debate.
Once The main task of the Washington l.
correspondent was 10 sit In the gallery OF
he House Of Representatives, taking
own diligently the points made in the
ebate on the floor To-day very little at
antion is paid 10 the debate. particularly
D the House II the person who visits
Washington fer the first time. and goes
ITO the gallery OF the House, looks
cross to the reservation above the clock,
nd back Of the Speakers desk. he viii
&c It almost empty, no matter how in
aresting the discussion below may be.
This occasions considerable comment on
be part Of visitors and not least from
arraSnandenfs Of \ former. rra-,nr-, tl.,-,