The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-27
DAILY STATE JOURNAI-MONDAY EVENING MAY 81

| the old United Press ceasing business.
The A. P. was too much for it. This
was about 1892.
| The Associated Press at that time
was so widely extended that it en-
| braced in it's service the great newspa-
| pers of the United States, from New
York to San Francisco and from Min
neapolis to New Orleans.
In 1900, Judge Phillips of Illinois
declared that the Associated Press
must give its news service to any pa
per which would pay for it on the
same basis the present A. P. papers
were paying. This threw things
wide open. At that time a privilege
to use the Associated Press was known
as a franchise The principal thing
secured thirty-two years ago at Eighth
and Kansas avenue was the franchise
OF the Associated Press. The paper at
that time was receiving $500 words
day and was entitled to the exclusive
use of this Associated Press service in
| Topeka and for a territory within
twenty-mile radius.
| The ruling of Judge Phillips, of
course, placed in jeopardy what was
known as the Associated Press fran
chise; and while there was great diff
ference of opinion about the constitu-
tionality of the decision, the old men,
bers of the Associated Press conclud-
ed that it was better to reorganize I'M
der new law. Accordingly eighteen
years ago a reorganization was effect
ed under the New York bond or part
nership law.
The Associated Press is purely
| mutual, cooperative organization. 1t
makes no profits; its expenses increase
| or decrease with the expense of col
lecting and distributing the news. The
assessment for each paper is based
upon the size of the city, upon the size
local and circuit expense.
The principal papers in the large
cities receive what is known as the
leased wire service of the Associated
Press. There are thirty-five papers
in KaAsas that are Associated Press
papers; only four them however re-
ceive the full service-I should say
lseven; the two Wichita papers, the
Atchison Globe, the Pittsburg Head
light, the Hutchinson News. the To-
peka Capital and my own. THIS serv-
ice requires the entire time of the
telegraph operator receiving the re-
port for that particular paper. and the
taking of a carbon copy for the other
Associated Press paper in the same
city if there be one.
The Associated Press as it exists to-
day is partnership for mutual recip-
rocal service. Each member not only
pays his proportionate assessment to
the entire expense. but is in duty
bound to furnish the general news of
his locality to all the other members
This sum varies from time to time.
For instance. the assessment is high
now on account of the great expense
in collecting the news of the war in
Europe. At times news, notably in the
Japanese-Russian war, collected by
the Associated Press has cost as much
as So per word. The enormous ex-
pense Of it could only be borne by the
cooperation of the partners or mem
bers in the association
The news gathering of the world
great agencies:
The field of the Associated Press is
the United States, Canada, the Phil
ippine Islands. the Hawaiian Islands.
Central America and the islands of
the West Indies.
One of the other organizations is
known as the Reuters agency of Lon
don, which for years has collected the
news of Great Britain and her colo
MES.
The third great news collecting and
as the Havas agency of Paris. which
collects the news and distributes it in
France and the Latin countries. in
Guiding South America.
The fourth big news collection
agency is known as the Wolff agency
at Berlin. Its territory is in the leu
tonic, Scandinavian and Slavic coun-
tries.
The, Associated Press of the United
States has had working arrangements
with Reuters of London. Havas of
Paris and with the Wolff agency of
Berlin. They exchanged news with
each other and thus the world was
fairly well covered. Since the war the
connection with the Wolff agency is
naturally not so close. Meanwhile the
Associated Press has branched out to
such an extent that it practically COW
ers the world by it's own men. having
agencies and paid correspondents at
Rome, at Petrograd, at Toxic, Rio
Janeiro, Hong Kong and at all the
great cities of both hemispheres.
The Associated Press serves LOO
papers, of which about 500 are even
. ing papers and the remainder morn