The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-02-11
The Charges Again st
the Associated Press
From the New York Evening
Post.)

The Associated Press is to be con-
gratulated upon the attacks made ON
IT, only q few weeks ago it was libell-
ed 10y the Masses, for which the editors
are To answer i'm court; and today it is
/ the sun that has carried out its oft
rumorer intention of asking for pros
| ecution under the Sherman Anti-Trurt
! law. 1t has So long been the habit OF
irresponsible congressman to assal the
/ Associated Press upon the ground tn;
il is a News Trust, or monopoly, that.
as "a member Of the Associated Press.
| the Evening Post heartily welcomes a
review of its activities by the law OIL
GERS Of the government. We do not
know Of single member of this assp-
citation who would Willingly violate the
law of the land, or who would not be
glad To be Informed of anything done
| i'm coutrayention of the statutes. If by
these attacks the integrity of its news
service and its faithful observance Of
the law can be established in the minds
of certain agitators and libelers, a
great gain viii have resulted il only
10y rcassuring the public as to a chief
source of its news supply.
So far as the suns complaint is con
cerned. il does not seem to us worth
the paper upon which it is written
Many of the facts and letters it prints
today relate To- a totally different or
gauization-an Illinois corporation
which has not been i'm existence since
1900. The present Associated Press
let it be said once more, is a member
ship corporation comprised of certain
papers banded together for mutual co..
operation II is not profit making
concern, for it seeks and makes no
profits; il has no stock upon which go
pay dividends, and does not pay inter
est ON the bonds, which are held 10y
certain participating newspapers II
does not even sell news. but delivers
it's news at cost TO members and sub
scrtbers. 40 one can buy it's news
oyer the counter. the sun tried it. and
was informed that il must sock mem
hership. That il has not applied for
such membership is a point Of obvious
application 10 the attorney general
Tho Associated Prcss's officials are re-
spuuSible TO the membership of more
than 500 newspapers: from them is
drawn the news of the country IT, rs
the Masses charged. the Associated
Press is merely a sewer into which are
poured lies, falsifcations and msrep-
ros"ntations Of conditions among the !
working people II this country, then |
the Indictment lies against the 500 as
suciated newspapers. As a matter of /
fact, it is 10 the interest of every one !
OF them to keep the service accurate
and fair
As for the Suns complaint that tho
Associated Press is a monopoly. the !
simple answer is that it has keen AMI |
effective competition by the United |
Press, 10 which many Associated Press |
newspapers subscribe in addition to |
carrying the Associated Press news. /
There are other services To which a !
may turn for news |
such as the sun, or LaAan, and the
Hearst services But the sun also |
Complaints lndl II ana others are un- |
justly excluded from the Associated |
Press. If they are, it is plainly not q |
complete monopoly; but should all |
those not members he taken in, as the |
sun seems to desire, it could then be
attacked as the perfect monopoly |
which the Sun is so anxious to prevent. |
AS matter of fact. news is free. and |
can Ice obtained by any one or anv |
group Of newspapers with the means |
10 seek it. who could monopolize the |
sending of news from London or Paris !
20 New York? The thing is unthn!;- |
able so long as cable companies are
public service corporations, compelled |
to accept any decent kilograms offered |
To- them
Should the courts bold that "A mem |
bership corporation must admit 10 it's |
ranks any one seeking entrance there
would he an end to all clubs. co-pprra-
tive and mutual benefit associations.
II may be that the right of local veto
which keaps some applicants out & [ the |