TWO NEWSPAPERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 8

TWO NEWSPAPERS.

PRIMITIVE JOURNALISM IN NEW ZEALAND. Tho advent of a now daily newspaper is always an event in any community of any country, for if it performs its duty it must aim at supplying fresh pabulum for thoughtful talk, talkless thought, discussion, or mere chatter, in much of which lies tho Idea —that which assists in directing, as far as man and his institutions are concerned, tho inevitable laws of evolution in tho way they should go. This latest babo of journalism, crowing; lustily with tho spring of life as well as tho year in its clcar, bjnek blood, is predestined to evoke a sea of criticism among the readers, or their understudies, the " skimmers," of all classes, creeds, sects (and, it is hoped, sexes) of the community which notes " tho was, tho is, the must, and tho

the ' Independent' with Messrs. Fcllingham, Vincent, and Muir. You know tho rest." Father of the' Press. The plant of the first paper (says anothor authority) was bought by subscription amongst tho principal colonists and was 'pined in the hands of Mr. Snmuel Itcvans, who v.nj regarded as the Father of the Press in New Zealand. Mr. Itcvans, in writing to Mr. Chapman (afterwards Judge Chapman, father of the, present Judge), said : —" My life has been unceasingly active since I arrived. 1 have had to orcet the house for tho press, to which 1 put my hand in right good earnest. I had one of Manning's twenty feet by twenty completely erected, and the. press put up in a day and a half ;■ myself, two carpenters, and three labourers did the work. Wo are building a Canadian bateau. She will carry about twelve tons, nr GOOO feet of hoards, and will prove most useful when tho town lots are given out." An interesting fact is recorded in No. 20, August 22, 1&J0, of tho "New Zealand Gazette," which says:—"'Britannia,' the name lirst jiven to the town of the

might bo of this work-a-day world," and as somo hold that tho critic criticised is somotimes a deal more diverting than tho original cause, so will wholesome criticism l>o honourably received and graciously absorbed.

To many tho advent of a new morning newspaper will conjuro up reflective memories of other papers that havo been, and have now cither merged their identity in existing journals or havo dropped silently and uncomplainingly out of the littlo world they, perchance, illumined, like—"Tho poor player who struts and frets his hour upon tho stage, and then is heard no more." Birth of N.Z. Journalism. The train of thought regarding the probability of an interest existing in tho journalism, and its products, 'of other days was followed by a telophoto tho little local paper, the birth of which boasts a date prior to that even of Wellington itsolf—" The Nov,- Zealand Gazette," tho first newspaper to bo printed 3.nd published in the colony—tho Adam of tho great Now Zealand.'

New Zealand Company's first and priit | oipnl settlement hy Colonel Wakulieid. ; lias been approved l»v Governor son. It is a good name, because unuj now unapproprint.-J by any town, ami therefore distinctive in its-character, and, further, in being agreeably as; sociated in the minds of all Britouc with their Fatherland. The town landc having been allotted, we couple with il the name of that able, paper which has so long and successfully advocated l.lic principles upon which this settlement i has been founded, and add the united I terms in our title. Henceforward this j pa par will bear the name of Uifi ' j Zealand Gazette and Britannia Spr.« ; tator.' " The Bravo Old Days. Those were brave old days, no doubt, when there was no depemlcr.ee on the cabin or telegraph system, and when several months wight elapio twce.n the arrival elates of F.nf;! fii nail.-,, which burst upon one after live i or six months' tosdiig bal'-way rnu-.v 1 , the world. Mr. .M'Kcnxii; has rrl.i:l how. after all that time, he has paid ' as much as £1 tor a copy of t'n ' " Home News " that had been i\ad 1

Turning round for first-baud information about tbe nativity of a paper that spread light and learning upon the brave people who settled round the shores of Port Nicholson somo sixtyseven years ago, only one of those who could speak with authority was fouiid to bo yet amongst us—only one to tell of that, unique conception, almost sacred in tho narrowing perspective of years nearly three scoro and ton. " You wish to know something about tho ' Gazette ?' " said Mr. Thomas M'Konzio, of Ghnzneo Street, as ho sighed himself into an easy chair and. laid aside the pair of stout sticks that had assisted the octacjcnarian into tho room.. Though tho feet- were halt, it was quickly evident that it was not through any sympathy with tho mind. The honest pink face, haloed with wispy white hair, is still healthily fleshed, and the blue eyes aro bright and clear, and capablo of a raro twinkle when an ancient oxploit not altogether devoid of humour is recalled.

"Of course," said Mr. M'Konzio, deprecatingly, "my memory is not what it was, but I expect I can give you all you want. Tho first ' Gazette '

end rc-read throughout the ocean trip by the passengers. Hut to those who hat] come on before it was indeed news glorious news of homo and friends, redolent, with familiar names and places, and to secure 'the same, even if it was half a year old, was Jiiore than the equivalent of the averse "scoop" of to-day. Earliest and Latest. "The New Zealand Gazette" was ,il;e first and earliest newspaper of parts. The. iirst and latest is "The Dominion." :HE PIRGT NEW ZEALAND PAPER. Wo give on this page a reproduction ij'n |j"?t page of the first paper published" in New Zealand, an interesting u,v,).iiu of the nature of which appears la tins issue. The lirsl number was ; \..U'd in London. This well-printed IMwhcar.ion consists of eight pages, ami ;.•> for the most part: occupied with iinuraiiition relative to the settlement nahods of the New Zealand Land Company.

was not printed in Wellington at all; it was printed in London, and was sold among the people who intended coining out, and a good sale it had, I can toll you. I bought a copy myself, though only a lad: Wo left Gravesend in the Adelaide in September, 1839, and arrived hero on March 7, 1840, after a prolonged voyage, partly owing to having called both at Tonoriffe and Capetown. Wo had on board all the material for printing a paper, which was bought, I understood, by the members of the New Zealand Company, and given over to Mr. Samuel Kevans, a ereat friend of the late Mr. Judge Chapman, and a gentleman who had been induced to come from Canada by Mr. Wnkcfield.

" The plant consisted of a demy Columbia band-press, a supply of longprimer, brevier, and iobbing type, frames, t.vpe-casos. chases, and a rupply of paper. I don't fancy Mr. Revans was a practical printer—lie had been a merchant. I think in Canada: lie was the proprietor and editor. Mr. T'Vancis T. Yates was the printer, and I was apprenticed to Mr. ■Rwntw as soon as we an-ived. TVv. with Mr. James Muir (father of Mr.

The prospectus of the company 'appears in-the block which we reproduce. It will be noticed that the list of directors contains the names of many of our Wellington streets—Bonlcott, Ellice, Gordon, Ilankey, Sl'ajoribanks, Molcsivorth, Nairne, Pirie, Ahol Smith, Thompson, Webb, and Willis. Duppn, St Hill, Hunter, and Hopper Streets derive their names from members of "The First (Jointly" Society, composed. as is. explnnined 011 Page 3,' of "a considerable body of gentlemen who have tlclertmiu'il to emigrate with their families and property." The society believed "that a colony lo be prosperous should be composed of a portion of an old society, trausferied complete in all its parts, and containing at. least the rudiments of all those institutions which give the tone and character to civilisation," and it accordingly urged the formation of a Public Library. Museum, and Hospital, and issued suggestions for the collection of valuable records. To return to the "Gazette," wo find several columns devoted to information for emigrant.*, a scale of dietary, and extracts from official papers of the company. Under the heading "I3niscop.il Church of New Zealand." the Hon. 1 7 , lianirr. Sir .1. Sinclair, Captain Daniell. the Kevs. IV. fielvryn and Samuel Hinds, and a number of other gentlemen, submit, certain proposals for the

foundation of a Christum congregation. Their graceful and dignified manifesto, composed in the weighty English of a more leisurely day ,tlian ours, appeals lor subscriptions for, the piirchaso of land and erection of "necessary church buildings. Seven hundred pounds'would lie required, .£lOl, of which would go to tlio purchase of a city acre and 100 acroß of glebe. Another "appeal was for money to establish an infant school for tho..children of aborigines imd the poorer class of settlers'. . ' . table of dist.n.Ees"' shows how wide the -world was in those days. To Port Nicholson from England was 120 nrc-juaheno time; "Mexico, 50 days; days! bydncy was ten days away in tiiat Japan, 50 days—what had the colonists to do with those dim regions? Tho leader in the "Gazette"" is a ninaoolumii account of the colonir-ation and its justification, ajid concluded with an assurance to the hostile Colonial Office that "come what will, Englishmen carry with them, wherever they go, not merely the right, but the determination and the. capacity, to manage their'own affair?."

Amongst the odds and ends of the paper is a table showing tho outfit necessary for immigrant labourers — a man and his wife could purchaso all necessary clothes and personal jwhatnota for .£10! The fares from England were: First-class '£75, second-class JC3o,,steerage £18 15s. On Page- 8 is a threecolumn review of two than new books on New Zealand, one by the late ])r Dunmoro Lang, who declared that "whatever may bo the destines of the Australina , colonies, 1' am confident that, colonised on 'right principles New Zealand will one day he the Great Britain of-tho Southern Hemisphere.",

Ono of tlie most ■ interesting things in the "Gazette"' is a letter written in December, 183S, by an emigrant sottled near tho. Bay of Islands—"a very drunken'blackguard place," lie calls the same Bay. The writer praises the climate. He could obtain a largo hog for_ a little tobaccoj firewood was a drug in' tho market; he had made a hedge—hewas well pleased. But—" Mary docs not like the cottage wo are in;,..we are . so thick, three families." But his hopes' 'wore high and his purposo sfcrioiis—as indeed high hopes, strong self-reliance and a serious purposo breathe,in evorjr page of this pioneer paper.