THE BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 6

THE BOYCOTT.

"A CONTEMPTIBLE EFFORT."

, That recent and very/ live .'addition' to tho daily press of' tho Dominion, tho Levin "Daily .News;" had.'something .to I ;say. in, a:.recent issue, on. the,. Government's ; boycott;:of this' journal; In-tho courSe of- a ver|- out-spoken article it says:—' • - -

"An injustice done to an individual is sometimes of considerable service/to tho public igenerally,, and a shameful injustice'done to one highly .reputable public journal may have- a termination distinctly;/advantageous to the.newspaper: press of- thti' whole Domin- . ion. 'The freedom of'the press! is threatened; a. contemptible effort .at. gagging has boon ' instituted by-the Government.. The Dominion is boycotted becauserit tells the truth about Now Zealand's, fantastic finance.'Tho tender susceptibilities Winced by Ministers at ■ oriticism'of their "niethods /breeds .misgivings V conoeriiiiig their actions, and they have long'.sought /for i .means -whereby '.'-to . gag; their critics. What was the Advertising . Department .brought;into; existence for? Was •. it because ; newspapers.-. wero charging exorbitant prices, or was it because a- more perfect system of survpillanco could be in-, stituted? . It remains for thp heavilyburdened 'taxpayers; to:.say whether " thfeif money: shall be taken from, them to advertise or to subsidise.- Advertising is necessary, but subsidising is ■' as < harmful ■ as it is dishonest' / and contemptible. - Oan : anything more mean-spirited, bp more opposed' to common :deoeney than to boycott a newspaper , because it refuses to father a frenzied finanoo and. shout hurrah about a land policy that', is,'ruining the. country?. The'-boycott of a • journal; that' .is 'of itself:,sufficient' to oohfor / lourAalistic distinction on iany country, thiit has' advanced an undisputed claim to laving an overwhelmingly ' superior circulation among 'morning journals in the Dominion, is too dar- < ing, too gross a' Ministerial. Misdemeanour": 'to'pass unnoticed. To presume to dictato to,thq ; public what journal they shall/read, and to deprive them of their right to bo, apprised, of-\vliat public business it, is oftimes of;, vital: importance'' they should have full knowledge'., of jis, in pur opinion, ; a- flagrant: violation; Jr tne mVs|of''dee(^e^: t 'v!tf tho Government, is 'going to presume _to dictate: to'; the people what newspapers'.they shall,'read; cr, if tnis infamous advertising-'businesl'is : 'taken | on. ;by •tho . Government ?fpr eoonomio reasons letthem'/sliow]* f ,i • undoubtedly., t,he case, : a'n<J : ;let T ,them mako - evoryone-\wli6'-",wishos'- to see ■ a' public. ,announcement, road .the Government Gazetto. They' know- the: .-futility.; ofsuch./advertising,,, a'nd,>e know.' tliat tboir-systeiji' of-subsidisa-, /tion which is roplacnig", the ; system of advor- • , tisiiig : is only' some uegrees~ less, futile thai the Gazette would be. . To use this Sower' in boycotting a- newspaper like', Thb ; ominion.is reprehensible ita tho extreme aa it .unfairly/deprives thousands of our best citizens of:'information 'they,have' a 'perfect right' to be Supplied with through the journal, thoy-, prefer, to read."'