EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Evening Star, Issue 19784, 7 February 1928, Page 5

EMPIRE PRESS UNION

AML REPORT The annual report of the committee of the New Zealand branch or tn Empire Press Union states : —The report must follow largely on the lines or its predecessors, and deal principally witn the important work of the council oi the union in England, for the welfare of this branch is closely bound up "itn the activities of the parent body as represented by its influential ana energetic council. The main objects ot the union have been concisely summed up as “ maintaining throughout tnc Empire the best facilities that are possible for the publication of news and intelligence.” It is lor the furtherance of that object that the proprietors of all the principal newspapers at Home and overseas arc combined m its membership. The standing and importance ot tne Empire Press Union have been increasingly recognised in high political quarters in England, and at the sitting of the last Imperial Conference a memorandum was submitted to that body setting out in detail the objects ot the union for consideration by the Communications Committee of - the Conference. Those objects, affecting as they do the whole Press of the Empire, were ably set out by Sir Robert Donald and others as the spokesmen of a deputation from the union which waited on the Communications Committee. The reply of Mr Amery, as Secretary of State lor the Dominions, who was one of the original members of the Empire Press Conference ot 1909, was cordial and appreciative, and he undertook to commend the suggestions of the deputation to the Post-master-General for his favorable consideration. , . Attention during the year wham nas passed was largely centred on the great strides made by wireless, and especially on the “ beam ” system, which has been introduced between England and Australia and between _ England and Canada. In this connection in the last annual report of the union to its members it was pointed out that the mistake was made of fixing the Press rate for wireless at the same figure as lor cable transmission, and in the case of both Canada and Australia reductions were secured—in the former to 2-Jd per word, and in the latter, to Id per word for ordinary Press messages and 3d per word for deferred Press messages, tins being two-thirds of the reduced cable rate. It will be gratifying to members or the N.ew Zealand branch to know that it continues to occupy a highly honorable position with respect to its membership. The numbers, in comparison with the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa, are;— United Kingdom, 67 members, 34 associates; Australia, 28 members, oU associates; New Zealand, 11 members, 51 associates; Canada, 13 members, i associate; South Africa, 14 members. In addition to these there are members and associates in India, Ceylon, British West Indies, and other parts of the Empire. . . A notable event in the history of the union during the past year was the sale by the president, the Right Hon. Viscount Burnham, G.C.M.G., C.H., of his newspaper property the 1 Daily Telegraph.’ If this leads to tho_ retirement or Lord Burnham from his position as president of the union, his resignation will bo received in newspaper circles with universal regret. His active work during the eighteen years he has held the position has been elimmense value to the Press throughout the whole Empire, and should he feel it necessary to resign ho would carry with him the grateful thanks of every member of the association for his assiduous work in promoting its welfare

In New Zealand the principal matter of interest affecting members of this branch has been the advance locally in wireless affairs. Several of the loading newspaper offices in the dominion have installed receiving sets, and on occasions the value of these have been demonstrated in the early receipt of sporting and other news. Interesting items of news from overseas have also at times been received, and these, carrying out the terms of the_ cable agreement with the Press Association, have been placed at the disposal of its subscribers for simultaneous publication.