THE BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 658, 8 November 1909, Page 7

THE BOYCOTT.

WHAT OTHER PAPERS SAY| SOME INTERESTING OPINIONS. | Sovoral of our aontompornries dealt ediSri- 1 ally on Saturday with tho debate in the on Friday upon tho' «thics of ' Gowirnmont aaV J wrtiaingv.. Our evening oonietnporary, tlio j "Evening.Post,",had a remarkably outßpokoni leading attiolo t <>ri* tho subject, , " "I The " Evening' Post"' Hits Out. j Tho "Post" odllb tho discussion in tho Housed "4 discreditable debato," and, after quoting'| Mr. WrightV proposed resolution:— ; . / 'That in the opinion of- this House,v. Governifiont advertlsoraonta should bo 1 6up- : w! plied to regardless ■ of thoir -, political convictions, and with' a viow.only ■ to seourftg tho best return to the taipayere for tho t money so expended," , ' , tho "Post" goes t on to sayt—','As an abstract '; proposition, th« dootrino whioh'Mr. " Wright ';■■' Asked the House to affirm must be ficoepted aj : axiomaho in its Soundness by anybody- whose 1 political prhiciplos arc higher than those which' have recently triumphed in tho DlUnloipal'< elections of Now -York and San Francisco. On • tho one side; stands ithe maxim: of 'spoßs' to w . 'tho victors,'; which nakedly 1 assorts' this right'": of the dominant party to spend the publio./ ■ money and allot the publio offices in thewwary r- - best i calculated. to . promote its own: Interests;.' ■ Tho rival I .theory of which Mr. Wright's motion,- '■' application- is that\hold T ing as-a .trustee, for the whole community, and ' not for its own party,, tho Government should ■ shut its eyes to political consideration'.in, tho''. distribution .of its patronage, Mid''to-:guided"' solely by a business-like regard for the'.publio - : interests. - It-is,' Unfortunately, beyond-quos-' .'. tion thavtno remarkable .triumphs---of Liberal" ;->■« ism ah this; oouiitry during, a period-whiehiis < • , now not;far short, of 20 years- have •bem > seriouslyiimattedft.by/ian .-application of tho* ! spoils 'far the, victors'. dootrine, ■ which, though it has fallen immeasurably short of the shamed ,- less corruption - of j the American system of-' graft,' has, been similar in its essence, and quite sufficient in degree to constitute a serious" public,danger.": ■- ■ Tho - "Post" .condemns the irrelevanoie# in -by'-speakers on- both ."sides,- and ' proceeds! • ■' ' . ■>'■.- "In ; .his ./first, ;-speech- on tho-subject'he"' ; [Sir, . Joseph Ward] xefetrc-d lo -the long 7 established 'Wellington . journals,and : • proceeded to, add., that anothor-:. pappr. had • •• since been' started in thi city ' for reasons bost. -known to its promoters.'-' !H6:-:; was- graciously pleased to admit tbat'„.thes?ivgentlemen had . a - perfect' right-' to take" this--stop.i -"It had to bo rbmembored^howeveV/^hft' said, that it -was; started jwith ..tho- avowed intention of not only, annihilating- thorether papers in the city, but of, bringing down the v Government.- , Tnafc-cthat--. was ■ tho- 'oaso had ■■ been stated by. responsible people attaohed' to ? v it.' What on earth has this to do with .the , matter?. And what ..object-oeuldXlt.- j serve' biiti to - cohfusfe ; tho - minds', hnd\' inflajAb';:'!".; the prejudices - of' supportors whom' it should "? have been ,hiß principal oonccrn to inspire with ': clear ideas and'a judioi/il' spiritP" ■':■ , f;-" I .', .- The Test. ; Tho main point ■ of V'our , evening-? cbutfitA* 5 : pOrary's artiolo is: in the following ■ -"The real -question for the Government and tho House was which Of the-two new* ■; papers is the'better advertising y.(nedlun>, 1 and that question. Is Id ..be. determined) net m ' -| by mud-pelting,-, nor even -by.:the.merit* rival policies, but by -circulation.' -That test could be appllod by any: : accountant v In tho course of a ,few minutes, and put > ■ as conclusively'beyond 1 the'rango-of ,con> r troversy as the multiplication table - Itself. - 1. ; But thli test hat not only been Ignored by .- 'V - Ministers,- but Wet -rejected . by, tho Prime Minister yesterday at no M(i- j .< cern of, theirs.;. It .It:roajly'politics, and not buslneu, that, they are after? 1 ' . 1 -'tfpon* Mr, ■ Laurenson'e 1 stateinont that the. ?Govommont should liot give so many advertise- . ments to, papors that oppose it, the "Post" ,' 1 '■ saysi—'i'■//'-J;-V■"': "When a man of sonic light wid leading'v 'i; 1 oah talk in this, way, one may well feel- In- .* oiined to do3pait of politics,' Members were asked to discuss a business proposition yestor- i day, but they .mostly talked politics .instead, , Tho dootrino thai public trusts may be;legiti-: . matoly diverted to ptit&ta uses ' 'was y- oponly, dofonded." , ■ ' ' .... -Onr wnwmporaryVflnil conelndoii is tMa;— - -i ' 'Tet, even now wo';beUevo the heart of the ; Government to. be sounder than itb practleo, or :<■' than the arguments ÜBad to justify ft, and that 1 on second thoughts the Prime, Minister trill see « that ■ it is his duty to ignore sharo-lists,', party orics, loading artiolos. and othor irrelevancies,:)< ■< and to imply the publio molaoy in this respoct, Jas - in others,with; a single cjd to the publio ■ ibterests."-'^^\'t;. "Otago Dally Times." 1 ' The "Otago Daily Times" is also empfcftUcr*':'-!'-: 1 -; ','lt is impossible to . hold that' the Prime U ' -, Minister established a ■ good • ease , for. . the I Government yesterday, when, he endeavoured to !■ a a; refute tho charge- tnat an- unfair dfsetiminii* tlon is being made , by it in the distribution ; f of publio odvertisoments among the fcewspftperfl M in wollingtoh.: Sir WaM ihritod the House to beliOVe 1 . thht a'cßoUhd'.prihciple is fc.U lowed by the Gbverntnent '■ when it aividqs its advertising; bbtweeh', tktt; : newspapers -y in \ that oity that'are on bpposito/sides, in politics to the exclusion flf the,' third .' paper; for, though a ; 0 this third papet may have obtained; a. certaW ® ; - amount of advlirtisintti from theJ.State during tho,past twelvdjlmbntliß, .it: i8;-'tt. : matter 6f ' notoriety;;, thatt it. rhftsy been;. absolutcjy * boycotted 1 within -- the: past mohthe. v Disregardingy the vpoint i that. Ono of tho journals are-in receipt of the Government ia advertising is not', a .party:'organ in any, ; sense of tho term, but. takes up a distinctly' , independent.attitude:in politics; we cannot but •••.«> inarvel Sir Joseph* i Ward should seriously /..submit .v preposition- ■ whioh, if the' stftttmenw that medo in th 6 v .v, House by • members for Wellington owistltuen-■.; ■ oies are to be relied \ii>on, implies th(it thb Government'does not considor it neiessary that : , v ' the public advertisements should , be inserted ' whero the, bost -valiiohc.'in be obtained. Thb > public has really; a I right ,to, : Expect of I the Government that it sliall. M.the trustto of tho publio funds, so'regulati r its advertising that > the. largest, possible '.nlndunt :of -publicity shall be seeured for it, 'Aad .th'e fMt that' 6 pipeip < is, n6w in the field and that it: is opposed to ■*:■>'/ ■■ the "Government - should not be allowed to be v -ah element m the determination»of • the queS' • - ; tion of .whether-';it. should receive'.State';nd--' j«Svertisemcnts so long 1 nsyit: lB hble to- e/fcr - 1 ': ■ good value for the expondituro that would be entailed. This seems to us to lie such an elementary business principle tlmt there Should "• •»= be nti'occasion fot stating it. .She 1 -Government i seemii to us to have token:up.an, 6fttirely uateiliible position.. Therearo' f 6ifeci!\V reasons,' - 1 v ; , to whieli refereYioe was made in;tW House, A*'hy ' ; ■ the 'members 1 of"tlflS Ministry should■ be pftr-'" v : tieularly ;careful;..'to avoid>, nnything : m' 'the - nature of dhcnminhtion'tin'.flixolif of ono of the Wellington merning newspapers as against , ' i '' the Other. The publio may reasonably regard ' it as legrettnble that the difecteslon should , ' have proccedwl on some of the lines that-were followed yesterday, but it cannot vory well f avoid tho oonolusion, on the broad facts of tlid ' case,' as. presorted,. that" the • Gofernmeht {Saa ■ pursued a course that is indefensible." * , "Deicendlng to the Deptht." >\\ The Christohuroh *'EvoniHf;,News" says t— 1 i ~4"R'-is, 4 "R'-is unfortunate that the Houao of Eepre- ; i ) Sehtativesyjshould .have been tho' scene of a ' long and I,somewhat bittor/.dißoussion yesterday -on a toatteryiike Govirnment 4dvo;tising| I but Ministers havo only themselves lo blame. The Prime Minister's reply'to, tho chargo of boyftotting one of tho leading papers in tho countrrwaa singulaHy weak and unconvincing. It is all nonsense to' say .that "the Opposition S took up tho position'that'if any iik» papor 1 is; started the Government; should give it tho same advertlsetiiente as wot "supplied to'old* ' established jourtiftls.' ; Sir. Joseph Wlird knows . J perfectly well that, metropolitan daily papers > are iiot started every : month or every year. Tits Dominion- is tho first for over twenty 0 years,:ahd'it is now a powtirful,-strongly-es-tablished,,, had wefl-eohduotod >journal, v, Ith a for lai^er-clfculation'r.tlian',.tho y Government ' I paper 111 which'members of the Ministry hie 1 and which last year reoeived Government advertisetnehtt atnountlng to Undor. tho cireuwstahccs, it is idle to contend that political; reasons do not actuato MlnisVeia in giving-Vbut these:-.advertisements^'From h bnslnoss point of now; the .newspaper with .the - largest 'joiroulatipny be the ' best advertising medium,, and the; Government, in boycotting the: paper ;\vith the krtroßt cir- ■ onlatiOn;. andl riving thoyadvertisementf to an. otherwhich-Slavishly'.supports its: policy, can •• only be doing 'so for reasons other than a do- * , sire;to get value for the public money,(spent on advertiptng. rt is ti .contemptible, paltn > . business ftltoMb%':;Mid:ion6y.that: trill do n v '

uovornment, resonts fearless and independent snticifim, .and 1° what, d*ptlis it will stoop to that nnhoifim at any cost.' *. ■ fen»ttew , l InttpMts te th« .'.'Tlm«s.". ,- 1 Tho Government journals bars "goneially-. fotight «hy of comment an the qnestwn. Tho' Napier "Daily Telegraph," a very fotlifnl toppor tor, of; tbo Government, has -something to ■ |ay>_lts comments • are very interesting. ' Acfording' to a.tokgiam from .our correspondent, the '."Telegraph" says, inter aha^— MVTho. sTittryrdiscußmcra m ,tho Honjse on tho Stfcsiiot) of nawspaper 'advertising, with special Merence to thecawtali.rtnd influence. behind po. 'New Zealand Times' - and The Dominion respectively,, suggests some lassans of its own. lit us not,. however, •a, matter, of great public [importance; which"paper anjoya .Gio support of tho -liquors-party,,'or whether, or, not tne largo Jsmdownorb< have-invested* their;capital in one :df,.these ooncaras. Theyarcboth-joint stock 'companies,:,and their,shares beuig on. the marIfot;,it;is open to any: individual or corporation ito.invest m them; The moiiwe prompting |B«ch~.' an:'•■.investment-; rav another-t matter --.alto.lelher; :. "What -does 'Concern-;the, public; how[ilv«r, as Ministers, with considor'ablepower: of. advertising patronage in tbeir 'hand/;, > are -shareholders '. in.;, the Wellington ttnorning .pacer that receives Government adver--trslog,- while the' . other morning' pap«r~> which {\<fe;:none-doo3 not incind© thehi in its >shareprtss' ' - This may be > only a coincidence. I|o our tpind, however,, it suKsests strongly the avenue ilbats leads to. cori'uptioni" 'If these; particular osople; .were . sharohdders before:' they became Cibinot Ministers thoir position would be different altogether. - But were they ?" [fftia Clrim;to.\Ha*e. Advertfcomepts. f Tho "Lytteiton Times" attempted a defence. Wf.' the ; ; Government, y;-. It',calls • the. debate ~ "atpaltry; •'quarrel, -. aiief i: a v good' deal'. oi j*buse of, Tim Dommiioji, it says: |< -"It . [the Government], cannot i permit p itself,;to bo biiflied anto departing 1 from :i p fljo : practice'that is 'adopted " ( Ijy ;.every : , • mercantile houso, and ,rf, there is • any kv journal that?,feels iiitseW ; overlooked, ::.jts. » f ii.proper ,«onrso is to oanvmee- the advortis[;.'in<r, department tberfc;it -has solid claims to m t consideration" comtecttoa, it. mar .be observed that jHw only. way. of• convincing the Government Ilftat it hari sohddaicm to consideration is to l-asktho Government:to, verify The DoinjtioN'j f, Slaims .as .■ to, its, circulation in relation' to' the pircnlationrof . its, contemporaries.' ('An Amusing View j' n £,- Our readars wiUibe mterestod-'to know what 'lfow Zeabiid '/FOTes -to' say. The tfollowing -.extract,' -while t typical of ; the. whole |j®f; its article', (which is not'more "than or[jdinanly ;vituperativc)j, is ispecially. J am , using:. •>. Lmm "The only assistance; which the GovornfS; ment. coiild prohtablyfgive iThe?'Dominion A f, newspaper would bo .to,grant it a sabstan- . tial : bonus ;,to -leave the country, (as • its ' ills;, to ",do) and ;emi(irate r.to.! some- far- land ri f?'Where.i.the .ethics .oLJeromiah. are -nnder- . stood aid, ii,, , ; ■fThe "Times ""Of bourse,'>.says-'nothing 'on■ tho qocstinn of circulation j 1 A 'List to Remember 1 > Thirty-sixi niembers of tho Home, "by opjiposmgjMri'.WpghFs amendmeiit (quoted above); i fllloweij. themselves to' go.ion rrecord >as having . th<T. following, prirfciplos'j'— | •:! 1. Thft , Government, advertisements , should. t/Ot., be supplied. to' newspapers re-, gardless,of their political convictions: ,2« That Government advert-sements should NOT be suppled'to newspapers with ' K* view; only- to; secunng the I besti return for 1 't the taxpayers' money. ' 1 A :z- !•'• ■> A ■ : ;;r t . i : Arnold ' Ji\ Laurenson 1 -Baomo /v 1 Lawry " Buddd V,; v Macdonafd Carroil M'Kenzfe, Hon. R. Clark J 1 Matlwnzie, 'Hon, T. Coivin r , Millar - ' Cralgtß'' i' •J. ' Ngata 1 Davey T ( ,Parata ' , ~, ' Dillon i v ,i. / 1 s PoWnd '~ y . > Duncan, Hon.,T, Poote ' ' . > EW l i Ross. f ' ' ' I__ Field , , Ssddon ' ■' t, Forbes Siday Glover '■'■'■i 1! I Smith ' < * Graham r »l > Statlv/orthy ' Greenslade <»ao\ Ward ' ' •>-11 ,Hall l» a sk'i - Wdfcrd > rr'V.n Hogan Wrtty Mr. took .paii in. the)debate,'bnt abhnnself ,m time.'to' avoidi 'foting. ■ ''I '' '