Evening star., 1924-05-15
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PURPOSES DETAILED
Declared Cooperative News.
Gathering Organization, Pre-
sentiug Impartial Facts.
HELD TRUSTEE, NOT TRUST
Melville E. Stone. Counselor, Ad
dresses Coal Association.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associa ted Press
CINCINNATI. Ohio, May 15.-That
the Associated Press is not n trust,
nut a trustee, recognizing the respon-
sibility of telling the truth respect
Ing the worlds happenings, was the
declaration OF Melville E. Stone, for
mer general manager and now coun-
selor of the organization. In a talk to
members of the National Coal Asso-
citation in annual convention here to-
day.
Mr.. Stone said the Associated Press
Is cooperative news-gathering or
ganization, having no stock, no cap
ital, making no profits. selling moth
ing. but supported by the newspapers
constituting it's membership, and
having no purpose other than to Sc
cure and furnish truthful, impartial
facts to its members.
Born of an ObIig alton.
The Associated Press. as you in a
casual way know IL. was born of an
obligation. IL is striving to recog-
trusteeship," said Mr.. Stone.
The Associated Press was organ
lied by brave, conscientious, pa
triotic body Of journalists to assume
this responsibility. TO meet this OBJ
legation. Their purpose was to tell
the truth respecting the worlds hap
penings-perhaps not the whole
truth, yet nothing but the truth. They
pledged hundreds of thousands of dol
lars to redeem this obligation
The newspaper members it serves
as a joint reporter include papers
of every sort of atfifiation-Republi-
can, Democratic. free trade and pro-
lection, capitalistic and trades union
lists, conservative and radicai-and
this carries with it a trusteeship.
Newspapers have but one common de-
mand upon the organization--that it
shall furnish news and not views
that, as nearly as possible, consider
ing the frailtieS of human nature, its
service shall be free from bias or de-
duction or opinion. And the only tie
that binds any member newspaper to
it is the confidence of the newspaper
member in it's integrity and impair
| tiality.
Responsibility to Nation.
You also have larger response
| bility for the welfare of this nation
| than most of the citizens-much
| larger than the merchant. the manu-
| facturer or the professional man.
There is a curious analogy between
| the Associated Press and the Coal
Association. Both have and do enjoy
| special privileges at the hands of the
American people.
There is something very interest
| ing to a news man about the bitumi-
the one occupation which success
| fully defies the recognized economic
| laws. 1 do not pretend TO speak by
| the card, but l am told by those who
| should know that the greater the
output the greater the discomfort Of
| the employed miners and the coal
| consumers alike. In every other field
| Of activity the greater the competi-
tion the happier the employe and the
cheaper the output With your en-
terprise the very reverse seems to
| be true.
Declares Co-opera tiOn Vital.
You have some hard problems be-
fore you-the questions of liv-
ing. a fair wage: and of a fair price
for the consumer. You cannot solve
those problems alone. There must
be cooperation from a number of
sources. And it is upon this question
of cooperation that l wish to lay
stress. Our government is based
upon cooperation. Without it we
weak the greatest-is
the unwillingness of our good cit
| izens to cooperate, to carry on with
their civic duties. They are drunk
with the opportunity for money-mak
ing in this God-given heritage OF
material wealth.
| What sort of cooperation do
| mean as a remedy for the admitted
diseaSe? 1 am opposed to govern
| mental owner ship or even of govern
| mental control, save as last and OBJ
viously necessary step. But mine
| owners must recognize that they. in
| their enterprises, are charged with a
| trusteeship which they cannot evade
| The very so-called ownership of q
| mine is misnomer. And the EN-
ploye must remember that as an ele-
mental principle of economics we
must strive to get back to a condi-
ton very properly spoken of by Presi
dent Harding as 'normalcy.' And the
| railroads, which are the largest coal
| consumers, must recognize their trus-
teeship. They, too. having been given
| special privileges. have special cor
| responding obligations. Their method
1 of holding off on their purchases un-
til the approach of winter and then
using their cars for the accumulation
Of a supply for themselves, leaving a
! shortage Of cars for the needs of the
public, must be modified And fac
! tory corporations and individuals as
| far as poSsibl must cease seasonal
buying. We must all join hands to
| keep the mines going at as nearly as
possible full time the year round
This is the kind of cooperation we
| require"