The Evening Star MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 3054, 2 December 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1872.

It must lie evident to every reader of the Evening Star that the; time has arrived when its enlargement can no longer be deferred. So thoroughly is its value as an advertising medium recognised, that it has become nearly useless as a newspaper, and utterly worthless as an organ of public opinion. This, though profitable to the proprietor, deprives the paper of half its public value; and as one great advantage to advertisers lias hitherto been absent, a country, as well as a town circulation, we have taken the only means in our power to secure it, by issuing a morning edition. When first the Evening Star fell into our hands, we promised that it should be enlarged when the support accorded justified the additional cost. That support has been given liberally, and we are prepared now to redeem the promise. We regard a newspaper as in some respects a property in which the community has a largo and important interest. Through its instrumentality private wants and public notifications are made known. Its chief value is not in comments upon passing events; although, where honest, they help to forming correct conclusions. But whatever the value of the opinions of the writers may be, they arc secondary in importance to reliable reports of facts. That these shall not be distorted to serve party purposes, the public have a right to expect; and it will be our desire in future, as it has been in time past, to furnish full and trustworthy reports of passing events. By tins moans alone can data be afforded for arriving at correct conclusions. As a town journal, the Evening Star has enjoyed a large share of public con lidence; but its usefulness has been circumscribed through not having a Provincial circulation. We attributed this to the impossibility of transmitting it to the interior on the evening of its publication; and to the fact, that our morning contemporary, through having the evening’s news, was enabled to give later intelligence. We find, however, on a tour through the country, for the purpose of appointing agents for our morning edition, we were deceived in that respect; and that the great need is a cheap morning journal. We little imagined when the Daily limes so superciliously asserted that the Evening Star never found its way into the country excepting as a wrapper for sandwiches, that Ps country circulation was even in that capacity nearly equal to that of the Daily Times itself. But it Was so. The great need is a cheap morning paper, and that we have undertaken to supply on the only method by which it can bo given to so circumscribed a population without loss to the journalist—by publishing a morning edition of the Evening Star. Many of our friends demur to this arrangement. They want something better they say ; "they do not want a rehash of the Evening Star. In other words, they wish for an expenditure on a new journal that can only be justified where the population is five times as great as that of Otago, and where they are as accessible as the people of Melbourne, or Manchester, or Liverpool. We feel it necessary therefore to point out a few facts in connection with this subject, that we think will bo sufficient to explain the propriety of the step we have taken. In the first place, in every journal published contempoianeously with another in the same town, there must be a detail of the leading events of the day. These may be told indifferent language in different papers: one narration may be more graphic or better written than the other; hut substantially they are the same. For this reason, those who purchase the Daily Times necessarily see a record of transactions that they read in the Evening

Stab the night before. But to those who receive the Morning Star up the country this intelligence will be news ; and therefore, as a matter of economy, no one will ask that those matters of fact shall be rewritten, and reprinted, merely for the sake of reading them j in a different form. Wherever additions, corrections, or extensions are required, they will be made. So with reports of proceedings in the Courts of Justice. Through the Evening Stab having to be sent to press so early in the afternoon, these reports have been necessarily very much curtailed and imperfect. This must still be the case in the evening edition, but in the morning they will appear with such additions as will render them perfect; , and as to some fifteen hundred or two . thousand evening readers the additions j will be news, on a similar principle they will rc-appcar. Nor do we see ; any good reason why both classes of readers should not have the advantage of the comments on passing events, usually termed “ Leading Articles,’ although these will be varied. We do not think it at all necessary that the two editions should even be identical in political views. Having been forced rather prematurely to the issue of a morning edition, our arrangements on this point are not completed. But through the economical working of the two editions into each other, we shall be enabled to secure the services of men of the highest talent as writers. The views expiessed in the Morning Star may therefore materially differ from those advocated by the evening journal; nor shall wo feci chargeable with inconsistency should this happen occasionally; for we hold that it is better, in a small community, to have all sides of a question examined fairly, tlian to become the slave of a party. As the two editions, so far as leading matter is concerned, will ultimately, and as early as possible, he placed under different control, there may be variety of view, although the leading feature will be advocacy of sound, practical progress. WitJi regard to advertisers, the plan of two editions promises the greatest possible advantage. As only one expense will be incurred in preparing the advertising columns for the press, all . advertisements will bo inserted in both editions for one charge, except otherwise expressly directed. We know of no other method by which we can so substantially render the public participators in the success that has attended the Evening Star. The multiplication of journals is always a source of weakness to advertisers, and a groat tax upon them. They wish to bring themselves into contact with all classes in a community, and if they have to support three or four journals for this purpose where two will do, it becomes a heavy burden ; while the chance is that the work will not bo nearly so efficiently done. The Evening and Morning Stars will unitedly command a circulation of several thousand copies; the country is prepared and anxious for a cheap journal, and advertisers will have an advantage never before enjoyed in Otago of securing the widest possible publicity to their advertisements. Socially, beneficial results may be anticipated through immediate communication with the up-country districts. Hitherto the town has been as completely isolated from the country as if a cordon were thrown around it. The consequence has been that the people do not understand each other. Their interests are identical; but there is no concerted action. The country people are jealous of the citizens ; the citizens feel surprised that the country does not understand them. The Morning Star will bridge the gulf that separates them, and afford a means of giving expression to their mutual wants. What distinct party organs do in large and populous countries, the Morning Star will be open to do in Otago. The time may arrive when distinct organs can be supported by different political parties; but it is too early in the career of the Province to attempt that now. We believe the plan wo have marked out is the only practicable one with our present population. It is based upon the economy of amalgamation ; and as it seems to provide the best possible public organs at the least possible cost, we feel confident of receiving support so long as the journals merit it.