THE PRESS ASSOCIATION AND COUNTRY JOURNALS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1506, 14 March 1887, Page 2

THE PRESS ASSOCIATION AND COUNTRY JOURNALS.

The " Timaru Herald," m Ha leading article of Saturday, gives vrice to the grievances of the country press as respects the conduct of the Frees Association. It very jastly complains that " unfortunately for the smaller newspapers, wh!ch constitute the great bo k of Press investments m the oolony, the business of the Association In the cities is invariably conducted solely m the interests of the large newspapers. It cannot be said that, as a rule, conspicuous talent Is displayed iv compiling even the class of extended messages, bat with regard to the other class of messages (ihe shorter ones supplied to the smaller newspapers) the Association's agents m the cities a-e habitually guilty of the grossest neglect and carelessness. Instead of supplying what fa asked for and paid for — that is a careful abstract of selected intelligence — the agents bundle Into the telegraph offioe a miss of crude and ill-digested items. Frequently things of the utmost importance are omitted altogether and prominence given to other matters of little or no interest outside the cities where they occur. In short the business is conducted In shameful, and we •re sure m many cases, wilful disregard of the smaller newspapers, whose money, however, the Association pockets and m fact could not exist without."