Norwich bulletin., 1913-05-09

f of reserving to themselves the right ! to determine to what extent the mem i bership of such a group shall be en- ! larged?
 1 It does not seem possible to hold ! fairly that a newspaper in New York may not join with one in Chicago. and t! one in Philadelphia to maintain ] common correspondent in Washington l without making it obligatory on these 1 three newspapers to share the fruits | of their enterprise with other New i Y ork, Chicago and Philadelphia news l papers.
 If in addition they arrange that 1 each shall supply the others with the news of the home city. is it within the i bounds of reason that they are requir- l ed to furnish to competitors the same facilities?
 1 give this illustration because that is exactly the relation of the news papers composing The Associated | Press the scale only being enlarged. Third of DaiIies Represented. The obligations of a common carrier are, however. in noWise dependent OH the magnitude of it's transactions The ferry sculled across q stream is just as much impressed with public use as is the Pennsylvania railroad. Each is a common carrier. It is the nature of the transaction and not it's size that determines it's obligations. As respects the question of common carriership, what is right for three to do is proper for 300 or for 800 to do.
 To compel The Associated Press to assume an entity of it's own and to serve all corners would. in my jud8-
 ment, bring about a condition fraught
 with the gravest dangers to the free
 dom of the press and in turn to the freedom of the people.
 At present about one-t third of the daily newspapers of the country are ! in AGSnriata1 PToSo There are a number of concerns en- gagged in the collection and sale of gen. eral news to nonmembers of The As sOciated Press, and one way or another they supply their customers with what are declared to be satisfactory services. i In noWise desiring to become any thing approaching monopoly. The Associated Press has avoided even the appearance of any competitive price rivalry admitting additional members | solely on the ground of a common ben eft to the members of q cooperative inEtitution
 I If by some occult reasoning The i Associated Press could be held as 8 common carrier these news selling 1 organizations would be wiOed out and ! The Associated Press would if the end 1 sought for was accomplished. become a real monopoly and, the incentive fer 1 co-operation no longer existing, it ] would naturally drift into a concern for ! peCuuidIS 1pTOul, III T NpfINaIe. oNneFSIllp :, and subject to private control
 Harm In Manipulating News.
 No more dangerous situation can well be imagined than the passing of ! the control of the greatest news4gath-
 efing and news disseminating agency I of the world from the hands of co- 1, operating newspapers to the ceAtrol of
 some individual interested in maripu-
 lating the news-the master and not ] the serN ant of the newspapers I Because this danger would be SO ] grave it will not come. but for another
 reason also. very basic reas son.
 There can be no monopoly in news.
 The day that it becomes apparent
 that a monopoly in collecting and dis
 tributing news exists, that day, in some way. by some method, individual
 newspapers or groups of newspapers
 will take up the work of establishing a
 service for themselves, independent of '. outside control.
 The news of the world is open to i him who will go for it. Any one will ing to expend the energy, the time and
 the money to approach it may dir. from the well of truth.
 1 The news service of The Associated 1 Press does not consist of it's eased wires