Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-06-06
NEWS NOT TAINTED
SAY ASSOCIATED
PRESS MEN
RlDDER AND STONE TALK
TO SENATE COMMITTEE
Deny Alleged Effort to Present.
Only One Side of Reciprocity
Agreement or to Suppress
Facts In Newspapers,
my Morning journal Special Leased wireI

ing on the Canadian reciprocity bill
was concluded by the senate finance
committee today representatives. Of
the American Newspaper Publishers
association and OF the Associated
Press, being the last to appear be-
fore the committee.
Secretary of state Knox at the re-
quest of Senator Bailey has been asked
to explain tomorrow whether the
Root amendment TO the paper section
of the bin providing that il shall not
be In force until the president ls
satisfied and issued proclamation to
the effect that paper and wood pulp
are being admitted free into all the
provinces OF Canada is In fun accord
with the agreement as understood BY
the commissioners from both coun-
tries who prepared the treaty.
Wednesday the committee viii take up
the bill in executive session to dis
cuss committee action.
Both Herman Riddcr, until recent
~ president of the American News
paper Publishers association. and
Melville r. Stone. general manager OF
the Associated Press testified in nm
swer to queries from various senators
that In their opinion. no effort has
been made by the newspapers of the
country to present only one side Of
the reciprocity argument. TO color
their reports or to suppress facts
which were OF news value. Bruce
/ IN .F ft..f
ers' association and Frank b. Noyes.
president OF the Associated Press also
appeared.
The chief interests which the news
papers Of the country have IN the mat
ter Mr.. Ridder told the committee is
their desire to free themselves from
the paper manufacturers trust. which
now, he added, has the publishers at
it's mercy The readers OF the coun
| try would benefit by cheaper paper
as we'll As the prlhlishora he said, be.
| oausc tho money saved on PAPER could
be used to furnish a larger and better
news service
The hearings wound up with a
friendly phIlosophlzing between SEN
ators Bailey, Smoot, LaFollette and
Clark on the ono hand and Mr.. stone,
on the other, as to whether 1t would
be better for the public If the news
papers gave them more of the serious.
solid and instructive sort of news and
less of the sensational.
MIR. Ridder who occupied the great
er part of the day, before the COM
mittee, acknowledged that the pub
fishers association had sent out
bulletins and letters urging the pas
sage OF the reciprocity measure.
But | would not have favored the
measure, he said, III | had not
thought it would be OF benefit to the
country as a whole, independent Of
my interest In 1t as a newspaper pub
Usher"
When Mr.. Ridder attacked the pa
per trust which he said limited the
output, fixed the price and told pub
Usher where he must buy his paper
both Senators McCumber and Bailey
opponents Of the bill said II there was
such a trust they wanted to see It
prosecuted bv the government
Mr.. Rldder Insisted In answer to
questions that any amendment to the
Dill. would In his opinion en-
danger ana probably kin the measure
and that therefore, he was in favor Of
seeing the bill passed exactly as 1t
came from the house.
Mr.. Stone testified that no lnstruc-
tions had been sent out to the Asso-
ciated Press correspondents as to
Canadian reciprocity except that they
had been told to send any important
matter connected with II because Of
the general interest of the subject
He was questioned In detail as to the
Associated Press service by several
senators An reports, he said, were
supposed to be absolutely fair to both
sides, to be recital OF facts on their
news value only.