THE ADVERTISING BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 4

THE ADVERTISING BOYCOTT.

In his Hokitika speech the Prime Minister quoted certain figures presumably in an attempt to justify the boycott of The Dominion in the matter of State advertising. The figures purported to show the amounts paid to various newspapers for a period of 21 months, and an endeavour was made to show that as much money had been spent with Opposition journals throughout New Zealand as with those which supported the Government. Even on his own showing, the injustice that is being done The Dominion must have been apparent. Had the figures of the past 12 months been taken they would have emphasised it still more. We feel confident, however, that the thin device of dragging in the figures for the whole of New Zealand in order to cover up the wrong that is being done here by the Ward Administration will deceive no one. The position is a very simple one. In Wellington there are two morning newspapers issued daily. One freely exercises its privilege as a public critic, the other supports the Government on all occasions. The journal, which dares to criticise the Government has a circulation greatly in excess of that which supports' Ministers, and therefore returns a greater, value than its contemporary for any sum spent on advertising in its columns. It is also a reputable journal. _ But because of its free criticism it and its readers are penalised without the slightest regard for the public interest. During the past twelve months not one single advertisement relating to the railways _ has been forwarded to us for insertion. Had we not inserted at our own cost the many advertisements given to our contemporaries, not only would our readers have been robbed of information which it is customary, and which they are entitled, to receive through the columns of their daily newspaper, but the railway revenue itself would necessarily have suffered from the failure to make known the railway attractions offered by the Department. Not one advertisement relating to Government tenders was inserted in our columns, save at our own cost. Here again the interests of the State and of the individual members of the public were neglected in order to penalise this paper. Income Tax notices, Justice Department _ announcements, meetings of creditors called by the Official Assignee, Defence orders, Labour Department notices, all these and others have been given to our contemporaries and refused to us, with the result that as matters of public concern wc have published them at our_ own cost. Even on such an occasion of universal sinking of personal and political differences as the late King's death, the State announcements as to the public arrangements for the proclaiming of t the new King, the memorial services, etc., wore refused to The Dominion. To such depths as these has the political animosity, of the Ward Administration descended. Docs the Prime Minister really think his flimsy pretexts are given credence by any of the public who know what is going on here'? Docs the public for one moment believe that this boycott would have been established if The Dominion had bent the knee to the Government of the day? Our readers should have as little difficulty in answering these questions as in realising the dangers attached to an Administration which so abuses its powers and so disregards its obligations under the great trust placed in its hands.