Evening star., 1942-04-21
"A. P. Requirements
For New Members
Are LiberaIized
Historic Right of Protest
Dropped; Six Directors
Are Reelected
Ry ,hf Associ iated Press.

Ey The Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 2l-Further
changes in the bylaws of the ASso-
ciated Press we're up for considera-
ton today by members who yester-
day hberalized requirements for ad-
mission TO membership in a move TO
meet altered conditions in the news
paper field.
On the recommendation Of the A
p Board Of Directors, member pub
fishers approved yesterday the fol-
lowing changes as they opened their
42d annual meeting at the Hotel
Waldorf Astoria:
Elimination of the historic right
Of protest Of original A. P. news
paper members in the same field
(morning. evening or Sunday.
Substitution Of payments to the
original members by the new mem
bers under formula designed to re-
imburse the former on a basis of the
value of their A. P. membership.
These amendments we're approved
by more than four -fifths of the
member newspapers representatives
after being advised by the A. P.
Board Of Directors that "the De-
partment of Justice has declared,
through a series of communications
to the officers Of this corporation
and in personal interviews fol-
lowing an examination of the by
laws Of the Associated Press, that
they are in violation of the pro-
visions of the Sherman antitrust
law"
Changes Required.
The board in a preface to its rec
commended amendments said that
this corporation, through its off,
GERS and directors, has been placed
on notice that certain changes must
be made in its method of electing
members or that it will incur the
risk of proceedings in the courts,
which, If successful, could have the
effect of bringing about the dissolu-
ton Of the corporation, thus jeop-
ardizing the existing rights of all
members and impairing the value of
their newspaper properties"
AS approved, the amendments pro-
vide that after an application for
membership has been approved, the
applicant shall not be admitted to
A. P. membership or become an A.
P. member, where there are one
or more existing A. P. memberships
in the field in the city in which the
applicant has been elected, until:
l. The applicant shall pay to the
corporation a sum equal to 10 per
cent of the total amount of the
regular assessments received from
members in the field involved dur
ing the period from october l, 1900,
to the first day of the month pre-
ceding the date Of the election of
the applicant, and provides that
such payment shall in no case be
less than three times the current
annual regular assessment.
2. The applicant shall relinquish
any exclusive right that he or it
may have, by contract or otherwise,
to any news or news picture service
that is being made available to
the applicant at the time of the
filing of his application for mem
bership. Furthermore, when re-
quested to do so by any member
or members in the field involved,
the applicant shall require the said
news or news picture services, or
any Of them to be furnished to such
member or members on the same
terms as they are made available
to the applicant.
Distribution Of Money.
The arrangement further speci-
fies that such money paid to the
corporation would then be paid
over to the A. P. member in the
field in the city in which the ap-
plicant is elected. Where there is
more than one member, the mon
eys would be distributed among the
in proportion to the regu-
lar assessments paid by them since
October /, 1900
1t was also voted that applicants
for membership may be elected by
the Board of Directors-when no
meeting Of the members is in ses-
sion-in a field in a city where
there is no existing membership.
The following six directors were
reelected:
w. H. Cowles, Spokane CWash.)
Spokesman-Review; George 3. Lon
gan, Kansas City (Mo0 Star; Col.
Robert r. Mccormick, Chicago