THE PRESS.

Grey River Argus, 17 February 1927, Page 3

THE PRESS.

IMPERIAL ASPECT SPEECH BY SIR G. FENWICK. WELLINGTON, Feb. 16. In the course of liis acTtfress at the annual meeting of the Empire Press Union to-day, the Chairman, Sir George Fenwick, made reference to the demise of the “New Zealand Times.” Sii George said the New Zealand Times Company had fallen out of the member ship consequent on the “Times” ceasing publication, through the sale of the company’s business to the Wellington Publishing Company. “It has not been without sincere regret that many of us have seen the demise of a newspaper whose existence has covered so long a. period, including the change of its name from the “Wellington Independent” to the “New Zealand Times,” a period of 61 years. Its somewhat chequered career for a good many years past made it obvious that its recovery to a sound financial position was unlikely, and the close of its car eer was therefore not a matter of surprise to those who realised Wellington

Continuing, Sir George observed: “Tt has been remarked time and again by visitors to the Dominion competent to express an opinion, that the cable services of the Australian and Now Zealand press stand quite in the front rank. I think this expression of opinion is well founded, and that some of the credit for this is due to reduced trans mission charges that the Union has.

from time to time, secured for us. Oth erwise. we could not have afforded t( publish- such complete and ample news Fn other matters affecting the interests of the overseas press, the Council has performed good service, and as friends of Empire pressmen who from time to time visit Great Britain, the Secretary of the Union and members of its Council have proved themselves worthy of our earnest thanks, but apart from this aspect of the advantages overseas press men derive from their membership in the Union, there is a gratifying knowledge that they are members of a body which has taken a full and intelligent share in the consideration and discu >- sion of matters of great moment to th? Empire. It is not too much to claim for it that the great conferences which have in recent years been held in Canada and the Commonwealth of Australia, and in the visit the delegates paid New Zealand while en route to the lat-

ter, a great impression was made on the men who guide the destinies of these Empire lands in the southern seas, they rccognisd that' important visiting journalists were earnestly endeavouring to secure information that would enable them to come to a sound conclusion on important Empire questions, and that i heir judgment would have weight when published on their return to Eng land in the influential newspapers thev control. It is men of the stamp of Lord Burnham, Sir Robert Donald, Major Astor, Lord Astley and others—level-head-ed men of the world, with a facility’for

absorbing information and coming to sound conclusions in matters of public welfare—who are entitled to attention at the hands of the Empire’s rulers. J feel sure that this broader aspect oi the Union’s work must receive the hearty support of our members, though wo are far distant from its immediate field of action, and, further, that we feel it an honour to belong to a body

that has earned a sound place m public favour. ‘‘Of work of our own particular branch of the Union during the.past year there is little to be said. AVe have pursued the even tenor of our way grati tied that we have been able to help the Council of the Union through our membership, and countenance in carrying on their important and helpful work, materially benefiting as it undoubtedly docs, the press of every part of the Empire. Those members of our branch who have visited England during the year have been recipients oi invariable courtesy and attention in many ways accorded to overseas visitors by the secretary of the Union. It may reasonably be expected that the visits of New Zealand pressmen to England will become more and more frequent as the years go on, and it is of great advantage to them that they should have the benefit of the Union’s office as a house of call, and of willing-Iv-rendered services of the secretary.