The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-02-24

dice" by the Associated Press, and
deny the accompanying editorial asser
tons that news from centers of labor
trouble has been suppressed by sthis
Truth Trust" and that ,"the sub
stance of current history is being
held in cold storage, adulterated col
lored with poisonous intentions, and
sold to the highest bidder to suit his
private purposes" But language al
most as bitter and direct is found in
The Suns petition to the federal gov
eminent to take action against the
news gathering association under the
Sherman LAWN the interest of the
freedom of the press and the unmon-
opolized transmission of the news of
the world and unrestricted competi-
ton in obtaining and presenting the
same" The Sun, we learn from an
editorial is not only actuated by zeal
for the public welfare, but has de-
finite grievance, as it believes itself
w nave bctl iietl etSotu ethN WlohSCh
and illegally restrained by specific
acts covering a long period of years,
for which the present management of
the Associated Press is declared re-
sponsible. Mr.. Melville e. Stone, the
general manager of the association,
has so far vouchsafed no explanation
of any of the offenses cited in The
Suns complaint. Several member
newspapers, however, have been
promptly, vigorously, and deliberately
denying that the Associated Press is
trust or has been restraining trade.
But The Sun insists that the big
news gathering agency has for years
had virtual monopoly" in its field,
and has tried to maintain it by unfair
treatment of it's smaller competitors,
one of which is The Suns news bur-
eau. The attorney general is inform
ed that mot only has the Associated
Press, with a view of destroying The
Sun and it's bureau, refused to sell
news to it as to other leading news
papers of the United States, but has in
it's attempt to secure a monopoly in
| the sale of news attempted for many
years to blacklist and boycott the I'M
dersigned." All members of the Asso-
ciated Press, according to The Suns
complaint, are disciplined if they try
to have dealings with The Suns news
bureau, even though they "have no
wish to discontinue their long time
contracts with the Associated Press"
or to interfere in any way with it's in
their value as organs of public opinion
by obtaining all the news of the day.
The Sun then names fifteen specific
instances of attempts by the Assoc
ciated Press to boycott it and injure
it's business; these instances begin in
1894 and are spread over nineteen
years, the last being of March, 1913
"The boycotting, the discrimination.
the intimidation of customers or SER
wants of The Sun have continued"
says a Sun editorial, almost up to
the present time" The responsibility,
however, is not attributed to the mem
bership of the Associated Press, but
to "the mismanaging cabal' control
ling the immediate policy of the or
ganization."
Besides recounting the injuries done
The Sun by the Associated Press, the
complaint to the attorney general thus
describes the prejudice to the public
interest:
"Our constitutional system is based
upon the freedom of the press, and to
this end there should be given to the
great organs of public opinion every
facility to present all the news; and
monopoly which seeks to shape and
control the news into one standard
form, and that form determined by it's
governing body through it's executive
officers, is peculiarly Objectionable
monopoly. Thus a considerable part
of the newspaper press of the country
has been compelled to print only such
news as the said Associated Press
sees fit to transmit to it's several
members, and it has been for many
years a matter of complaint that by
such control of the news partial, I'M
fair, and partizan statements have
been given to the public at large. Even
if the Associated Press has not thus
abused, as so many citizens have be-
lieved and openly charged, it's donin
ating power over the transmission of
intelligence, yet it is is prejudicial to
the public that it should be within its
power to determine in what form and
to what extent the news of the world
shall he piUan from daV to day RI tho