The Dunstan Times FRIDAY 8th FEBRUARY, 1867.

Dunstan Times, Issue 250, 8 February 1867, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY Bth FEBRUARY, 1867.

Buoeati the rule of men kktibkly ivm, the rp..v is nioHTiEU than the jwoei)!"

The obstacles thrown in the way of the press by both the General and Provincial Governments have, ! we are glad to see, been taken up , by the Dunedin papers; both Governments are doubtless guided by personal motives in this object, *lue publicity of public wants being suppressed, that the. favored few by the absence of competition, may fatten upon the spoils of the couutry. The General Government have certainly not descended to the paltry meanness of issuing an "advertising sheet;" they have left that to the tinkers, tailors, andshoemak- , ers which comprise our Provincial Parish Vestry—those little-minded individuals who ought to be engaged at home in their several petty ' occupations; not content with their paltry organ, the " Provincial Gazette," issued a second but more contemptible publication in the shape of an advertising sheet, for the especial purpose of inserting , advertisements which, as a matter of right, should go into the columns of the newspapers; and to give this monstrous production a : circulation in the country districts, are actually defrauding the Col- , onial Revenue by transmitting it through the post without paying postage thereon, or by enclosing copies in newspapers published—or we should say, manufactured in Dunedin ; it being only the other day, after a long absence, that we found the '• Advertising Sheet" enclosed in an issue of the | " Waikouaiti Herald." The persons who read the " Advertising ! Sheet" must be very lew, for reasons, that but a small number of copies are sent up country, while those that are read are much smaller still—the publication being looked upon with contempt by all parties. It is very clear that, if the costs of the sheet were expended in advertising in the several provincial papers, the real object of advertising—securing the greatest amount of publicity—would be obtained ; while, as tilings arc at present, advertisements may as well be sunk in the sea; it being an undisputed fact, that not one person in five hundred ever sees the " Advertising Sheet," without by accident they read any portions of its pages that they may find wrapped round a purchase from their butchers. If we take up a paper from the Australian Colonies, even published at the most out of the way place, we invariably find in its pages Government advertisements, should they effect the interests of the residents in the district where sucli paper is published, or otherwise bo of sufficient general importance fo warrant the expenditure ofadverfis ing; in fact, everything there appears to be done to ensure the greatest publicity to public matters; but the object of New Zealand Governments is plainly to make a mere sham of advertising, that private ends may be served. I litherto we have been in the habit of quoting matters effecting the public, from both the <l Provincial Gazette" and "Advertising Sheet" but for the future, wo shall lyfrain from doing so till tlie latter contemptible publication is abolished, and wc hope that this course will befollowed by the other up-country journals in general. In fb*' l matter of telegraphic, i

communication, the General Government in the person of the Honorable (save the mark) John Hall, has snuffed out the country papers entirely, an " ukase*' issued by that gentleman makes it imperative, that before any English news shall be transmitted along the wires to any newspaper, a sum of £SO per annum shall be paid in advance the Government, of course, sending such a hash of news as may best suit their interest. With papers published iu towns on the lino of the General Government wires, this may perhaps be borne; but when the Provincial Government wires traverse the country, the Provincial rates are added, thus making telegrams containing English news a very serious matter to newspaper proprietors. Well may our Dunedin contemporary, the "EveningStar'' say the New Zealand Governments nave a " down upon newspapers;" we join issuo in hj it opinion, and say everything possible is being done to suppress them. However, notwithstanding this, we can con-

gratulate ourselves that the press will live out its enemies, and Ion"; continue to flourish, when they shall have sunk back into that nothingness from which they never should have emerged.