Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-03-03
HAL TING OF OIL FLOW And LEASE
ANNuL MENTS FIRST STEP OF TWO
NAMED TO PROBE TEAPOT DOME
CENTRAL OFFICES
A,P, Are SHIFTED
WITHOUT RIPPLE

New York, March o.-The hum of
news activity in the general Offices
of The Associated Press, 81 Cham
bers street, was hushed at 4 o'clock
this morning. There was 4 switch
ing of wires at a wely-known switch
board and in the twinkling of an
eye there was cracking of re-
sounding telegraph instruments in
the associations new home, 3So
Madison avenue.
The transfer involved the intri-
cate mechanical reimbursement of
the associations news heart and the
arteries of 10000 miles of telegraph
wires-enough to enc:rcle the earth
nearly four times. So carefully had
plans been laid that when wires and
cables were switched there was not
the slightest interruption in the vast
system whereby hundreds of thouS-
ands of words Of news are daily dis
tributed on 120 circuits among more
than 1900 newspaper members or
the worlds largest news gathering
agency.
The change to quarters that at
ford double the floor space was nee
essary to keep pace with the con-
slant expansion of the service.
The first organization under the
name of The Associated Press was
the old New York association.
founded in 1S4S, when news was car
ried from incoming ships by carrier
pigeons and courier before the ad-
vent of the telegraph. telephone.
cable, wireless and radio.
The present organization, lncor-
porated in 1900 has twice outgrown
it's home. Twenty-four years ago.
when the general offices were in the
old Western Union building at Il.
Broadway, six or seven telegraph
operators handled the limited flow
of news over three circuits, and
there were about 80 employees. In
1924 it was necessary to find larger
quarters and the offices were moveu
to the Chambers street address,
where the floor space was doubled
and the news facilities greatly IN
creased.
The new Madison avenue home
has n 900 square feet of floor space.
There are about $50 employees in the
New York headquarters. Forty oper-
ators on twenty circuits handle the
daily news output. which goes 10
every state and territory in the I'M
ion. the Central and South Ameri-
cas- and, through allied agencies
throughout the world. On four OF
these circuits there is a hour SER
vice.
Experts of the American Tele-
rhone and Telegraph Company and
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany had been working for three
months installing new teiegraphlc
and cable equipment.
The valuable news records OF
many years and other necessary
eoIlipmcnt were gradually moved
last week. At the instant 80. the
tplegrapher's good night-was
flashed over the wires at 4 o'clock
this morning and an unCanny silence
settled over the old offices. the task
of collecting the next days news
was Immediately taken UP in the
new home.
The new offices are in a newly
erected business building in the
Grand Central Terminal zone.
bounded by Madison and Vanderbilt
avenue and by East 18th and 4Ith
streets. The offices occupy the sixth
floor.
When the present OrSahlZalioii We"
Incorporated in 1900 it had approx
mately 400 members. In 1914. when
the larger quarters were taken at at
Chambers street there were Soo
members. Today, the membership
totals over 100 daily newspapers
two score of which are in Latin
America.
The newspapers which comprise
its membership are located as 1ar
north as Nome. Alaska; as far east
as Rio Janeiro; as far south as
Buenos Aires, and as far west as
Manila.
The total number OF salaried en-
ploves is loo of whom 1000 are
telegraph operators. The total num-
Der of individuals, however that con-
tribute news to make up its news
report is approximately So,Oou. ~
tbis number fhree-fourths are in the
United States. The remainder are
scattered throughout the world.