GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1579, 12 March 1879, Page 4

GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.

(Prom the “ Sydney Morning |Horald, February 24.) Governments which have no convenient surplus revenue accounts, and which cannot rush land into the auction market in the last quarter of the year, are apt to fall into financial difficulties, and then resort to the minor economies with more haste than dignity. It is so much easier to lop off a few items of expenditure, alleging them to be superfluous, than to reform the whole fiscal policy, that, though the latter course may be the true and only permanent cure of the disease, the former is generally adopted. So it happens that retrenchment in advertising is one of the first savings thought of by a Government which is in fetters as to ways and means. It may, indeed, be disputed whether economy in this direction is not generally an essentially false movement. Experience has pretty fairly established the opinion that advertising to be effective must bo liberal. But let that pass. Let it be granted that a Government is m honour bound to make the best use of the public funds at its control, and that, if it thinks —however mistakenly—that part of the money spent in advertising Government notices is comparatively wasted, it cannot be blamed for acting upon its belief. But when this particular retrenchment is resolved upon, what principle should determine the selection of newspapers to which the business should be restricted ? This is simply to ask whether the party bias of a Government, or a broader and juster view of the matter should affect the decision. Looked at abstractedly, it is almost incredible that such a presumedly high-souled institution as a Government should descend to the petty artifice of only advertising in journals which flatter its 'per-

sonnel and approve its measures. But this is not an abstract world, and all Government* are not high-soulcd. To the facts. It will be remembered that one of the economies initiated by the Liberal Government in Victoria was a retrenchment in advertising, and one of the first papers rejected was the « Daily Telegraph,” which was thus punished for its uncompromising hostility to the Berry party. Perhaps, now the same Government, in addition to gazetting its horror and aversion, will withdraw all advertisements from the “Argus.” Tyrants the world over think they can starve other people into submission. And a similar story comes from New Zealand, where there is another great Liberal Government. About ayear ago the Ministry determined to diminish the expenditure incurred by advertising, and restricted the business (to a great extent at least) to the so-called Government organs. For instance, in the district of Canterbury two daily papers circulate—the “Lyttelton Times ” and the “ Press.” The former supports the Grey party, the latter docs not. Therefore, advertisements were withheld from the journal which represented the views of the opposition. One of the directors of the “ Press ” visited Wellington to ascertain at first hand from the authorities why the paper had been passed ovor. It was represented to the Government that a partial distribution of Government advertising would not only place the excluded journals at a disadvantage, but would also be injurious to the public interests. In reply, the Government frankly confessed that the advertisements wore given, whenever there were competing papers, to its own supporters. This answer was naked and not ashamed. But can party bias dominate the public interests in this fashion without degrading politics ? The Government which thus purchases journalistic support is guilty of bribery, and the bribery is not improved by the fact that the bribe is taken from the public funds. _______