The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-16


In December, 1909. the Detroit Free
Press, which had previously made an
arrangement with the undersigned to
obtain portion Of It's news. was notified
by Charles 8. Diehl. the assistant gem
erai manager Of the Associated Press.
that II. the said Detroit Free Press.
could not maintain an operator In It's
building to receive and transcribe the
news purchased from the undersigned.
and as result tho wire OF the Sun
bureau was taken out Of tho Free Press
ONCE.
In the Same month the Baltimore
American. which had previously made a
like contract with the undersigned. was
notified by tho general manager Of the
Associated Press that either the Balti-
more American would have to discon-
tinue Its wire service with the under
signed or It would lose its press fran
chise.
In January, 1910, the Washington
Post. by letter dated January 10, 1910,
notified the undersigned that by reason
Of n conflict with the bylaws Of the
Associated Press" 1t was necessary for
the said Washington Post ito remove
the wire from the news department Of
It's newspaper" meaning thereby the
special wire by which the Washington
Post received the news from the under
signed.
The undersigned believes ana AYERS
that some time in tho fall Of 1909 the
said Associated Press determined to
make q more aggressive attack to de-
stroy tho competition existing between
ur1 h,,SA SvRA tnNa ,aA
the undersigned, and 90 far as possible
It procured the name OF every news
paper which either sold news 10 or pur-
chased news from the undersigned. and
thereupon sent 20 such newspapers as
then owned an existing franchise OF the
! Associated Press a notice that any bust.
ness relation between II and tho under
signed. with reference to the purchase
sale, transmission and collection OF
news. was against the laws OF the Asso-
ciated Press and would subject sucr
offending member to the loss OF its fran
ohise and expulsion.
The undersigned further AYERS thai
this persistent blacklist and boycott
With It's obvious ard necessary destruc'
ton Of interstate commerce In the
physicals transmission by telegraph Of
news as a purchasable commodity Ia
still existent and. as an illustrative In
stance. the undersigned further aver,
that In March. 1919. It sought e
mako an arrangement with til,
Chicago Inter Ocean for the pur.
chase and sale OF news. the same to b'
transmitted through tho channels Of In
terstate commerce by wire. In ordel
to enable the Chicago Inter Ocean
which was sincerely DESTROYS OF doing
this. to do so. Il being q member OF tn
Associated Press. II submitted tn,
proposition to the controlling body o
tho Associated Press and wrrc advised
that under the rules Of the Associated
Press II was impossible 70 make the ar
rangement with the undersigned.
Many additional Instances could b.
given Of these acts Of oppression AM
unfair competition. Many doubles
exist which. in the nature OF the case
are not brought to the knowledge o
tho undersigned and which II only feel
In the loss Of its customers and the de
struct!on OF its profits: but tho under
signed verify believes and therefor
AYERS that Q further examination eithe
by your department on It's own initia
tive or through judicial proceedings in
court Of law will develop the fact abov
stated. namely, that tho Associates
Prt 81 has for many years soush. to de
stroy It's only substantial competito
. and thus to secure q monopoly in tn
collection. purchase, sale and dlstribu
ton Of news.
Tho further continuance Of these act
Of oppression and restraint will result,
|. as they have resulted. In great damag
to the undersigned. for which no ade
quatc remedy exists by private actio
, a. law.
THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND TIL
FREE TRANSMISSION OF NEWS.
Apart from tho public policy whic
forbids the monopolization OF any par
OF commerce or any obstruction to III
channels Of interstate communication
It Is especially prejudicial to the pub
lie welfare that the news OF the worl
should be standardized by one associa
ton. through which alone the happen
ings OF the world can. II II shall here
after secure complete monopoly. reac
the citizen.
Our constitutional system Is base
: upon the freedom Of the press and I
this end the great organs OF publ
opinion should be given every facility I
present all OF the news. and a monopol
: which seeks to shape and control IN
news into one standard form and ths
I form determined by Its governing bod
through its executive officers IL
! peculiarly objectionable monopol
J. Thus a considerable part Of tho news
paper press Of the country has bee
. compelled to print only such news a
tho said Associated Press secs NJ I
: transmit to It's several members, and
has been for many years q matter {
complaint that by such control OF III
news. partial. unfair and partisan stat,
ments have been given to tho public ,
. large.
= Even IL tho Associated Press has II,
r thus abused. AZ so many citizens ha,
Y believed and openly charged. its dom
= mating power over the transmission
= intelligence. yet II il prejudlcial to Il
Q public welfare that II should be trtth
ITS potocr to determine In what for
= and to what extent the news Of Il
= world shall DO given from day 70 day
the average citizen.
II XII.
a CONCLUDING ALLEGATION AN