THE BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1500, 24 July 1912, Page 5

THE BOYCOTT.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS.

EX-MINISTER BOWLED OUT. STATEMENT BY MR. FISHER. Last -week tho Hon. K. M. 13. Fisher issued instructions to the Government Advertising Department to the effect that in future Government advertisements should bo distributed to the papers from the point of view of obtaining tho'bet value; and not from the point of view of penalising .so me papers and pampering, others. In other words, ho ordered tho ending of the boycott of Tun Dominion ar.d other journals which hnd l>een established, by the Ward Government, and continued by tho Mackenzie Government, The "Lyllclton Times,'' a Christehureb newspaper opposed to IMorui, attacked Mr. Fisher, who, it said, was endeavouring to cast an unwarranted slur on the Mackenzie Government, Tho "LyttcUon Times" asserted that Mr. ']'. Mackenzie, as soon as lie came into office, gave the instruction given by Mr. Fisher, and had, indeed, anticipated Mr. Fisher's order by three months. Mr. Fisher replied in a public statement:—"l referred the question to the ofiiccr in charge o£ tho Advertising Department, and asked him if ho Had received any instruction, either from Mr. Mackenzie or from any member of the Government, as to any projected change in the method of advertising. Tho otiicer informed mo that no instruction to that effect had ever'been given to tho Advertising Department. The result v.ns Hint the old method wne in operation at the date on which the Heform party enme into power." In its lSKie of Monday last tho "Lvttelton Times." printed an interview with Mr. G. AY. Russell, and an editorial repeating its previous statement, and declaring that Mr. Fisher "stood convicted of another piece of senseles-s and ungenerous misrepresentation." 11l his statement, which was long and dilfuse, Mr. Russell said that the statement by the officer in charge of advertising was "absolutely incorrect." Last night Mr. Fisher made a statement to a Dominion- representative, traversing Jtv. Russell's statement point by ]K>int. "Mr. Russell," Mr. Fisher observed, "assumed control of the l Advertising Department on March JS last. On March 29 the. manager of Tin; Dominionwrote for authority to publi-li a railway advertisement, anil Mr. Russell minuted the letter, 'one insert ion only.' On March 30 t.lio manager of The Dominion - again asked for authority to insert an advertisement relating to Easter, holiday train arrangements. There is a minute on this letter by Mr.- Russell, 'approved in this case fcr ono insertion only.' On April 15 The Dominion again wrote to Mr. Russell and informed lijm that they were refused advertisements by Government Department's on. tho grounds that they were not on tho Government, list. This letter is minuted by Mr.• Russell, 'reply cannot deal with the matter at present.'. On April 19 Ti'ie Dominion* oca in wrote, enclosing a short Public Works Department advertisement, . and risked Mr. Russell if he would- favour them with authority to insert' it. Mr. Russell_ minuted the letter, • 'reply cannot give this one.' 1 "This is the whole of the transactions between the Mackenzie Government and Tin; Dominion, per Mr. Russell," said Mr. Fisher. "In his statement to the 'Lyttclton Times', on Monday, Mr. Russell said that before ho took office The- Dominion- systematically published Government advertisements, together with an announcement Unit, as tho journal was being boycotted, publicity was being given to Government advertisements for the benefit of its readers and Mr. Russell added that as far as he was aware that oiuiauneenient lrad lint appeared after the Mackenzie Government took office. In point of fact Mr. 11ur«s11 took office on March US, 1012. Tim Dominion published its boycott notice oil A_pril 22, April'2S; May 'l, May 11, M'i.v 27, June .'l, June 7, June S, Juno JO, .Tune 20, and- June 2(1, 1012, that is up to ten days heforo tho 'Mackenzie Government was defeated, so that, evidently .Mr. Russell has forgotten (hat Tim Dominion was publishing boycott advertisemeats during the whole time that he was ■in ollice, and tlwt he had personally neglected to placo The Dominion upon tho Government list in compliance with tho letter of April 15, which ho hnd. 'turned' down' by minuting 'cannot deal with tho matter at present'." Mr. Fisher , added that should Mr. Russell or any other member of the Housa desire it, ho would be prepared to . lay tho filo containing full particulars of The Dominion boycott upon the table, of the House. This would enable Mr. Russell to turn iip any. record which ho bed | alleged to 1)3 in existeneo to the efi'cct I tint he instructed the head of tho Advertising Department that "all newspapers were to have fair play." As to-tho statement that by his expert knowledge, Mr. Russell had been able to -suggest to the Postal Department nil alteration in its system of advertising, by which a saving would bo Hindu cqnnt. to the salary and travelling ajlowanco drawn by him (Mr. Russell) during .the thrco' months that ho was Minister for Tntprnnl Affairs, Mr. Fisher said that ho hoped that ho would 'not bo too optimistic if ho stated that, in tho course of this year, he would save, out of the expenditure of tho Advertising Department, enough money to defray salaries, travelling allowances and travelling expenses, of tho whale of the MackeuzioAdministratiim, during the whole tinw that they were travelling about the country electioneering,'instead of ntfendini; to the country's business ill Wellington. '

Filially, Mr. 'Fisher supplied tUo following -particulars, as to llie advcrtis?liients piven to The . Dominion" by tho ■\Varil and Mackenzie Governments duriiiK periods each of (approximately) three months. From January 1 to- March 28. of this year, under Hie Ward Government, Tub Dominion" received advertisements lo tho amount of .Cl 3 17s. fid. from the Advertising Department. . From March 2!) to ''July 5, under (he administration nf Mr. 0. W. Russell, (ho Advertising Department gave Tub Dominion adyertisemenls to an oßpregato amount of 7s. Gd. Tlic?2 particulars do liotinclndo railway advertisnients over w.hieli the Advertising Department has n<j control.